Coach Pop

Coach Pop with Dejounte Murray; image from here

With all the craziness in the world right now, it's nice to have something to celebrate. Yesterday, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich became the all-time winningest NBA coach with his 1,336th victory. I've been a Spurs fan for years- a huge admirer of Pop, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and the teamwork that San Antonio consistently displays. They won five NBA championships from 1999-2014, and while their current team hasn't done as well,  they've been model teammates and citizens throughout it all. Pop plays a large part in that.

A US Air Force Academy graduate, Pop is in his 26th year as head coach of the Spurs. His first 22 seasons fielded winning teams- an NBA record. (Not to mention that five of those years resulted in championships.) Success is nice, but faithfulness is better- and that is what makes Pop great. 

Pop cares about his players. He spends an inordinate amount of time bonding with them on a personal level. He mandates team dinners:

"We go to dinner without phones, people actually talk to each other, ask questions and learn about how each other grew up, that sort of thing."

His players come from all over- his success drafting Europeans and Australians changed how the NBA viewed overseas talent. He connects with people from these various cultures and expects all to do the same. From Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford:

“Pop uses these moments to connect us. He loves that we come from so many different places. That could pull us apart, but he makes sure that it makes us feel connected and engaged to something bigger.”

He's honest. He's fiery. He knows the game. And most importantly- he cares. And the players know that. 

Faithfulness in this world does not guarantee success. But it is nice to see the two align. Characteristically, when asked about his most recent achievement, Pop responded:

"Something like this does not belong to one individual. Basketball's a team sport. You preach to your players that they have to do it together and that's certainly been the case in my life with all the wonderful players and coaches, the staff that I've been blessed with, the support of this wonderful city. The fans support us no matter what. All of us share in this record. It's not mine. It's ours, here in the city."

That's not false humility- he means it. Good job, Coach. Thanks for all you do.