Legendary coach Gregg Popovich has stepped down from his role with the San Antonio Spurs.
After sitting out the year due to health issues, Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs announced he would no longer be head coach for 2025-26 and beyond.
Stars including Victor Wembanyama paid tribute, along with one of his former protégé’s, Kawhi Leonard.
The LA Clippers superstar praised Popovich’s ‘phenomenal career’ where he carried on until he no longer could, laying the foundations for another era of Spurs success.
Photo by MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty ImagesGregg Popovich was thrilled with Kawhi Leonard’s early impact
Kawhi Leonard was drafted in 2011 to the San Antonio Spurs, and by the end of his second season, he was playing in the NBA Finals.
Leonard and the Spurs were moments away from defeating the Miami Heat in Game 6 before Ray Allen’s legendary shot saved the day for their opponents, led by Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.
The Heat won game 7 with a score of 95-88, leaving Popovich reflecting on Miami winning the title for a second successive year.
Popovich gave a classy response to Miami’s victory, paying tribute to the opponents, commenting: “Players step up in the playoffs. Tonight a great example of that was Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. They played Hall‑of‑Fame basketball tonight.
“That’s some of the best basketball they both played at the same time throughout the entire playoffs from what I saw.
“When you have somebody like Shane [Battier] come off the bench and knock it down the way he did, that’s tough to match. If you’re going to match that, you have to be pretty perfect. I didn’t think we played our best game in that regard.”
There was one San Antonio Spurs player who coach Popovich was very impressed by in the Game 7 loss, his young prospect Kawhi Leonard, competing in his first ever Finals.
“I just talked to Kawhi and told him he was absolutely amazing. Nobody expected him at this young age to play the way he has through the whole playoffs. He really is a star in the making.
“He’s just beginning to feel what he has. He’s like a little baby learning how to walk, as far as NBA basketball is concerned.”
Kawhi Leonard went on to become a two-time NBA Champion
Within 12 months, Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs were NBA Champions, demolishing the Heat 4-1 in the 2014 Finals.
This experience paid off for Kawhi Leonard in 2019 when he powered the Toronto Raptors to beat the Golden State Warriors to the title.
He went on to join the LA Clippers, an experience that has been a disappointment, largely due to injuries.
Kawhi rolled back the years with his performances in the series against the Denver Nuggets, an eventual Game 7 defeat.