Gregg Popovich first worked as Larry Brown’s assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs back in 1988. At the time, Michael Jordan was already one of the brightest stars in the league. Popovich was well aware of it, but he didn’t expect to be hypnotized by MJ’s presence on the court.
Popovich still vividly recalls the first time he saw Jordan in the flesh. It happened during an actual NBA game and he was coaching the Spurs alongside Brown.
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Admittedly, Pop knew that it was supposed to be what he was doing at the time. However, he ended up grappling with staying focused on his job and being awestruck by Jordan.
“The first time I saw him, I was in awe,” Popovich said of Jordan in 2013. “I remember sitting there (as an assistant next to Larry Brown) and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I didn’t watch anything else on the court. I didn’t even come close to trying to do any kind of job for Larry that night. I just stared at Michael.”
Popovich felt the same way about LeBron
Apart from Jordan, Popovich also admired other charismatic players on the court. However, no other presence struck him quite like MJ did back in ’88. That was until Coach Popovich finally saw LeBron James.
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Popovich was already one of the greatest coaches in the league when James entered the NBA. He was also well aware of the hype surrounding LBJ’s name.
Pop knew that James was a talented player, but he never thought that he would enjoy watching LeBron on the court. As per Popovich, it was one of the reasons why he has always liked James as a player.
“It’s kind of like when I first came to the league back in the 80s as an assistant coach. I get mesmerized watching Michael on the court, and you know, I wasn’t much help to Larry Brown,” Popovich once said in a separate discussion. “I’m watching Michael and I do that with LeBron. He’ll do things. He’ll look over once in a while and smirk.”
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“I’ve appreciated LeBron from Day 1 … He never let (early criticism) get to him … it’s the mental toughness,” the Hall of Fame coach continued. “It really impressed me at that young age for him to have that maturity.”
Jordan’s aura was also elite
Though it was unbecoming of a coach to be in awe of an opposing team’s player, especially during a game, what Popovich experienced was totally understandable. He wasn’t the only one who had been mesmerized by Jordan’s unexplainable charisma both off and on the court. In fact, Allen Iverson even once famously described MJ as almost glowing in person.
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Perhaps it could be mainly because Jordan exuded greatness and winning with his swag and flair. Or maybe, “His Airness” just conducts himself in such a way that people are left dumbfounded every time they see him up close and personal.
Still to this day, Jordan remains one of the most charismatic and recognizable sports figures in the world. But while there may be an array of other iconic athletes as infectious as MJ, for avid hoops fans, Jordan’s aura will always be distinct.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.