The San Antonio Spurs will complete the 2024-25 season without head coach Gregg Popovich on the sidelines.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Popovich is not expected to return to coaching this season after suffering a “mild stroke” in November, which has kept him away from the team.
While Popovich is reportedly making progress in his recovery, his future in the NBA remains uncertain.
The news about Popovich comes shortly after the Spurs announced that Victor Wembanyama would be sidelined for the rest of the season due to a right shoulder injury. Wembanyama, who earned his first All-Star selection this year, had been a bright spot in an otherwise challenging campaign for San Antonio.
In Popovich’s absence, assistant coach Mitch Johnson took over as interim head coach, leading the team to a 21-27 record. The Spurs have struggled recently, going 3-7 in their last 10 games, and currently sit in 12th place in the Western Conference with a 24-31 record.
Popovich originally joined the Spurs as an assistant coach in 1988 before leaving in 1992 to work under Don Nelson with the Golden State Warriors. He returned to San Antonio two years later as general manager and took over as head coach midway through the 1996-97 season.
Over his tenure, Popovich became the NBA’s all-time leader in regular-season wins with 1,390 victories, guiding the Spurs to five championships and an additional NBA Finals appearance.
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