Spurs excited to see Gregg Popovich at shootaround

A familiar and much-welcomed face was present at the Spurs shootaround on Monday morning – Gregg Popovich.

The legendary former coach spent much of the workout chatting with forward Jeremy Sochan.

Popovich, 76, officially retired from coaching in May after a stroke forced him to miss all but the first five games of the season. Former assistant Mitch Johnson is the team’s new head coach after serving as acting coach for the 77 games Popovich.

“He looks amazing,” seventh-year forward Keldon Johnson, the team’s longest-tenured current player, said of Popovich, who continues as the team’s president of basketball operations.

“It always puts a smile on my face seeing him here. This is my first year without Pop, so it has been a whirlwind of emotions. I’ve been really nervous. I didn’t really know what to expect, but Mitch has done an amazing job. He’s really going his thing. I trust Mitch. Everybody trusts Mitch, and I’m excited.”

Spurs veteran familiar with all things China

Given that he’s made several trips to China in recent years as a brand ambassador for the Chinese athletic wear company Qiaodan, Keldon Johnson was excited to be facing a team from that country in the opener.

“It was my fourth time this summer,” he said of his most recent trip to China. “It’s been some of the best times of my life. Seeing all the fans and being able to go over there and interact with a different part of the world really is eye opening for not only me but my family. Being able to experience the new foods and to see all the different cultures there in China has definitely been one of the highlights of my life. I tried all the food, the traditions, anything they wanted us to try. I tried to immerse myself into the culture and get the full experience.”

Spurs chief executive officer R.C. Buford, general manager Brian Wright and Mitch Johnson hosted a dinner on Sunday night for the Lions after they practiced at the Victory Capital Performance Center.

The Lions roster includes San Antonio’s George King, a Brennan alumnus.

Scrimmage karaoke could become new tradition

Keldon Johnson said he had a great time hosting the Spurs’ rookie karaoke act after Saturday’s scrimmage and wouldn’t be surprised to see it become a team tradition.

The team’s veterans enlisted Harper, Bryant and two-way contract players Riley Minix, David Jones Garcia and Harrison Ingram to sing for fans after the free event, which drew a crowd of more than 10,000.

“I know the guys are already talking about what the rookies are going to do next year,” Keldon Johnson said. “But right now we got a great group of guys. I love our rookies, man. I love our rookies from last year. They’re such great, great individuals.”

This article originally published at Spurs excited to see Gregg Popovich at shootaround.

Spurs excited to see Gregg Popovich at shootaround

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