[The Athletic] How Gregg Popovich quietly became the Spurs’ secret weapon – In his role as “El Jefe” after retiring from coaching last year, Gregg Popovich continues to mentor the Spurs players behind the scenes
Great (free!) piece from Jared Weiss of The Athletic, talking about how Spurs legends are still in the building, how Pop’s been attacking his rehab with Tim Duncan, & how Pop’s still had a presence behind the scenes for most of this season, including getting a little more active in this playoff run.
Some fun highlights from the piece, but the whole thing is worth a read:
“He’s been a big part of this whole year,” rookie Carter Bryant told The Athletic. “It’s been amazing. Not everybody has the greatest coach of all time just kind of sitting there in their laps. I just try to take it up as much as I can.”
The 20-year-old Bryant has played well enough to hold down a rotation spot for a 62-win contender deep into the postseason, often earning his spot over Harrison Barnes, an NBA champion in 2015. Bryant never played for Pop and just met him back in the fall. But he quickly sought out the coaching legend as a resource, and El Jefe has been that and more for him.
“Sometimes he calls me so fast after the game that we’re still in the locker room and I can’t even answer it,” Bryant said. “He texts me damn near after every game. I probably talk to him on the phone three times a week.”
Bryant is not alone. It was an open secret within the team that Popovich was forging or maintaining relationships with each player all season long. He talks to Keldon Johnson, the longest-tenured Spurs player, every day. Second-year guard Steph Castle leans on Popovich often for advice and help navigating the season. Whether they played for Popovich for seven years or seven days, he’s been locked in for them.
“It’s funny because you hear the stories about him being tough on guys and, obviously, he’s not my head coach, so I don’t kind of get that same experience,” Bryant said. “But I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ This dude is the sweetest, nicest guy. He’s dope.”
Recently, Popovich has started to emerge more from the shadows. The players have come to expect that when they’re in San Antonio, any time they show up to work, Popovich may be there. Spurs CEO RC Buford said Popovich was in the gym at least four times a week rehabbing from his stroke, often with Tim Duncan or other Spurs legends visiting town.
“It’s the reason why, with Pop’s stroke rehabilitation, Tim’s in the gym with him every day, and that’s not because Pop is telling him to be there,” Buford told The Athletic last month. “It’s because Tim feels the emotional connection to want to be there in the ways that Pop was there for him. Anytime people are in town, they’ll be in there.”
Source: https://www.nba.com/news/greg-popovich-mentors-spurs-through-rise