Gregg Popovich confirmed that he will not return to the bench this season, telling the Spurs players in person before releasing a statement.
Popovich has been out since suffering a mild stroke before a game on Nov. 2. Thursday was the first time since then he has met with the Spurs players in person, an emotional meeting, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. Popovich confirmed to the players previous reporting he would not return this season, the released a statement saying the same thing.
Mitch Johnson has taken over as the interim head coach, a position he will now hold through the end of the season. The Spurs have gone 22-30 with Johnson at the helm and sit 13th in the West. With Victor Wembanyama out for the remainder of the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder, the Spurs are expected to miss the playoffs for a sixth straight season.
Popovich is a Hall of Famer, the NBA’s all-time winningest coach, and a five-time NBA champion. He also coached Team USA to a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
