Gregg Popovich: San Antonio Spurs coach will not return this season after stroke
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich announced he will not be back off the court this season after he suffered a mild stroke in November.
The 76-year-old Suffered a stroke On November 2, before defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves at home.
Assistant Mitch Johnson led the NBA team to a 22-30 record as Popovich missed interim coach.
“I decided not to return off the court this season,” Popovich said Thursday.
“Mitch Johnson and his staff did a great job, and the determination and professionalism that the players have shown to stick together during a challenging season.
“I will continue to focus on my health and hopefully I can return to coaching in the future.”
Popovich, who has coached with the Spurs since the 1996-97 season, is the oldest coach in NBA history.
He is the league’s all-time victory leader with a regular season win of 1,390 seasons and another 170 playoff wins.
The Hall of Fame coach coaches coached the Spurs to five NBA titles in 29 seasons at the helm, while he led the United States to earn basketball gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
