The coach who won several games in the NBA story, which led the Texans to conquer five titles, formalizes the retreat after the stroke that had forced him to stop last November. In his place promoted Mitch Johnson
The transition had been in the air for some time, since health problems forced him to say goodbye to the NBA bench. The provisional farewell becomes definitive and the retreat of Gregg Popovich from the profession of coach, perhaps the greatest in the history of the game, becomes the beginning of a new life as a manager: at the same time the Spurs announce today that it becomes the president of Basketball Operations. In his place on the Texan bench was promoted on a permanent plan Mitch Johnson, 38 years old, who had already taken over interim this season after five as assistant, after the stroke that hit Popovich on November 2nd.
triumphs and words
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Popovich, 76 years old, is the most winning NBA coach every era with 1422 hits of regular season on the bench, more than any other, along a journey in which he built with the Spurs one of the dynasties that made the history of the League and led her to conquer five rings: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 2012 and in 2014, as a coach of the United States he won the Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games. “Although my love and my passion for the game remain, I decided that it is time to leave the role of head coach,” said Popovich. “I will be eternally grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who have allowed me to be at their service as head coach of the Spurs and I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to continue supporting the organization, the community and the city that are so important for me”.
spurs career
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In the NBA since 1988, entered Larry Brown coach assistant in San Antonio, the two -year period from 1994 to 1994 by assistant to Golden State’s assistant coach to Golden State is the only exception of a 37 -year -old career long lived all at the Spurs: since 1996 from the end of the coach, when as a general manager and vice president he fired coach Bob Hill and took his place on the bench. “The extraordinary impact of coach pop on our family, on San Antonio, on the Spurs and on the game of basketball is deep”, the owner of the Texans, Peter J. Holt celebrates him. “His awards and prizes do not do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly unique as a person, leader and coach. All our family, together with fans around the world, is grateful to him for his extraordinary 29 years as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs”.
La Gazzetta dello Sport
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