Victor Wembanyama on Gregg Popovich: “He goes through some things we can’t even imagine. So I need to call him. I need to see him. I need to talk to him.”
Im happy Pop gets to see a winning and passionate Spurs while he is still with us
Knowing we are close to a world without coach Pop makes me so sad man
YOU STOP TYPING RN
I was already crying
Once you Pop you never stop
:(
As a pistons fan that HATED playing the spurs in the 2000s, I have nothing but admiration and respect for pop, and how he made everyone around him a better human (I assume so at any rate, the spurs were never in trouble or in a scandal as far as I’m aware, and everyone speaks glowing about him. Idk he just seems like that wise fatherly pillar lol)
Best bball org and the most consistent. Imagine if Kawhi just stayed, he’ll be viewed as a legit GOAT.
Mightve even achieved that staying in Toronto lol
Nick nurse ain’t that guy
Fair. But if kawhi stayed, Toronto is then a much more desirable free agent destination, and we all saw how Bostons big 3 carried doc rivers to a title
I’ll say the same thing about my college teams old coach, John Calipari. Anthony Davis dragged his ass to that title lol
He’s such a good person. He went to Uvalde after that awful school shooting to meet with the kids there.
yup as a Mavs fan i agree completely. Pop is all class, all time goat coach as well as humanitarian, truly a great and honorable person we should strive to emulate
Agreed, pains me to like these Spurs . But fuck em lol
We are a day closer to a world without any of the people in our lives that we cherish
Don’t be sad that he will be gone, be happy that he was here.
I’m torn, Pop or Spike Lee with the finals trophy - I don’t know which I want more.
Pop has never done anything as bad as the 2k16 story. I think even Steve Nash would agree
Frequency Vibrations or Robert Horry, I can’t decide who is the greater evil
Oh shit now I’m remembering Al Jefferson learning to read for the first time through line reads of that game
nothing will be as bad as dion waiters in 2k15, just look at this masterpiece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WsGrHzReo4
I think that was 2k15
FREQIN AND VIBIN
Frankly disrespectful to the memory of Victor Van Lier
He’s an FOF!! Friend of Freq. fuckin bumass friend lol
To date the only sports game I’ve played where my create-a-character canonically killed someone.
RIP Bo$$-Key-Yacht
Everyone involved with that process should’ve been jailed and would still be sitting in jail as per today if we lived in a just world.
I take it you’re no FOF.
Nah honestly 2k16 storyline was legendary. We never got anything so engaging before or after that. I don’t even play my career anymore. But the 2k16 storyline was actually really fun.
Especially that part where you killed a guy in high school and your buddy took the fall for it and then killed himself at the end
In a E rated game lmao
Spike Lee made that Old Boy remake. That alone makes me not wanna see him happy lol
In Spike Lee’s defense on that film, he had a version he made that was 140 minutes long and apparently VERY different from what got released, so much so that Josh Brolin came out and said the studio completely screwed the movie with the editing and Spike didn’t put his usual “A Spike Lee Joint” tagline on the film.
That’s easy to claim after the movie came out and was a shit show. There wasn’t any reason to remake oldboy, other than going for a blatant cash grab. That’s not Spike Lee material.
We do it with so many Korean (and Japanese) films too. Makes no sense for films that wouldn’t appeal to the average American movie goer. The people that are movie lovers/cinephiles will have already seen and loved the original with no desire for an inferior American remake. It’s no surprise it completely flopped.
Yeah, hollywood adaptations of non hollywood type movies just are a complete mismatch. I don’t care who stars in it, but if for whatever reason a hollywood style remake of a Gaspar Noe movie would’ve been made, I can tell you well ahead of time that it’s gonna suck. Those movies didn’t need a remake at all even, there was nothing wrong with the original. Hollywood slop machine doesn’t listen though, they need their remakes and Marvel slop sequels because making something original is too costly and risky.
Like half of Spike Lee’s projects suck dick.
Pop 100%
How do you compare the two? Pop is super important to basketball, the other one is a rich dude from NYK. Fuck Spike Lee lmao
Spike Lee sucks dude.
Not even a question. Coach Pop is basketball. His influence is all over the league. Spike is just a fan…
I love pop but also he already has 5 lmao
Definitely, man’s a legend. Him and Timmy’s battles with Durant and Westbrook’s OKC back in 2012, 2014, and 2016 were awesome.
Hopefully we can keep up with another good rivalry against Wemby’s future Spurs. Though, this series put some gray in my hair.
Thank you for that and FYI had yall won I would’ve rooted for you to win it again.
Seeing this from a Thunder fan, it might not mean much but I personally love you and wish you nothing but the best in life.
I’m not a sports almanac, so I could be wrong about this. But I feel like he’s one of the few coaches to walk away from the job rather than be fired. And he’s still with the team.
this man was destined to be a spur at birth
it’s been said before, but really am so glad he ended up with a team that’s been able to maximize his potential like this and give him so much in terms of mentorship - feels like they’ve been perfect for him and likewise
Poor embiid, I wish he had a good team. One of the most talent players Ive ever seen too and he has an awful front office in the sixers lol.
An a league commisioner that actively did a coup to install a nepo baby that shit talked joel on a twitter burner and gave tobias harris 700 million dollars
Silver burnt Hinkie at the stake to install the actual big collared Devil.
Find another slant
Sixers have given embiid some really solid teams ngl. He was a kawhi bounce away from having similar accolades to his peers like Giannis and jokic
Teams, sure. Probably even better than Wemby has right now to be honest. But it’s not only about that, it’s also the structures, the staff and all. The Sixers were kinda disfunctional even when they had true contending teams
Half a season of jimmy butler wasnt enough, that was all they gave him.
Kawhi bounce away from going to overtime*
It makes me so sad how dysfunctional this team is. Especially with the Eagles, one of the premiere organizations in the modern NFL, and the Phillies who at least put up the money to get the team to compete, both across the street. Makes it all the more apparent how much of a failure the Sixers are from top to bottom.
It is sad man, I am not even a philly local but I appreciate that embiiid has potential to be one of the greatest of all time and hes so skilled like wemby before wemby, as embiid is a 7 foot 2 center who plays like a guard. Embiid need to do something his career was wasted by josh harris.
Lmao the sixers have been catching so many strays man. Today Ive seen people say they traded McCain for cheap. They traded Champagnie for McClung to wear there jersey in the dunk comp. There owner is a paedophile, lmao poor Embiid
Biyombo had this guy in the sidelines giving him pep talks…. Wemby immediately grabbed 4 rebounds lmao
All season I saw people asking what Biyombo was even doing there. I hope people watched how closely Vic listened to him in a WCF Game 7 because that’s why he’s there and that’s why the guys love him so much. KJ, Vic, and various other Spurs/Spurs-related people (like RC Buford) have talked about how valuable Biyombo’s off court contributions to the team have been. Guys who can share their experience and boost morale matter.
Same thing with the nuggets and DJ
When it comes down to it, these guys aren’t there to play. They can give you 5 minutes if you really need (DJ 1 finals block or than random dominant Haslem game) but you can spare a roster spot leadership
We get clowned on for UD being a bench warmer. People underrate the importance of a vet presence.
See the Hornets. I genuinely think they have a great core to build on, but lack vets.
The end of bench guys are also not that impactful anyway. You’d be way better off using them for high character vets
What are you talking about? Hornets had Taj Gibson last season and helped bring them where there are now and have Kemba now on the staff
I know its just because Wemby is really tall, but when they initially showed that it looked like he was crying on Biyombo’s shoulders the way he had to hunch over to get close to him.
In that draft, the Blazers had the ping-pong ball combination 14-5-8-3 and missed out on the number one overall pick since the Spurs won the top spot with the winning combination 14-5-8-2. I’m sure we’d have cursed his knees or something equally disastrous if he had ended up in Portland.
I’m not saying its rigged, but I 100% support rigging the draft to keep truly generational talents away from the dogshit franchises.
If only to punish dogshit owners
The fans don’t deserve it though
Oh it’s without a doubt rigged. In the sense that, Adam Silver and co. were not going to let their future face of the league asset fall into the hands of an old fart of an nba owner with a shit front office.
Timmy and Tony’s son
And David’s nephew and Manu’s godson.
And Gervin’s grandson
i gotta say, independent of actual basketball talent, our scouts do a great job of finding players ready to buy into the Spurs system
I read that the Dennis Rodman fiasco under coach Bob Hill was what convinced Pop that character and fit mattered as much as talent.
I mean, people blame it on Rodman but it’s an equally fucked up situation when you are in the locker room and David Robinson wants you to go to church and just keeps insisting lol. Shit like that never gets brought up regarding that situation.
He was born under the piston’s defensive reich
what evidence do you have that he was born? I’m more inclined to believe mad scientists in France just decided to create a test tube baby
he’s going to be the face of the league for the next 15 years
and he couldn’t have landed at a better spot
If the Spurs win it all, they need to have Pop out there to lift up the trophy
Would be shocked if they didn’t tbh
It would be pulling him out there kicking and screaming.
But I bet he would be there behind the scenes (if it was a Spurs home game) and the parade.
From footage I saw recently during this SAS v OKc series, he still has movement (and there was a guy nearby carrying a cane for him so perhaps balance)issues so the last thing you want for him to be accidentally bumped and fall and break something.
As excited as everybody would be, ain’t nobody jumping up and down around Pop right now. I could definitely see him holding out til the locker room to hold the trophy though. I think it would mean a lot to this team to just do that to show him that his legacy is in good hands.
Hah! I was about to say, “I mean, you could offer, but Pop wouldn’t do it”
I would shocked if they did. You know Pop would hate to make it about him.
Yea he’ll celebrate with them in the locker room but not in front of the cameras
100% the biggest positive Pop gets from having to step back is not be front and center of media shit anymore. Probably very nice that he can enjoy the ride without having to do that part of the job anymore haha.
Im surprised he didnt show up tonight but then I realized what pop may say “ we havent won anything yet”
No way that happens. He wouldn’t want to take the spotlight away from the team and the coaches.
I want to see the force ghost projections of Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker as well, clapping in the background
They’re still alive just get them into the arena 😭
RIP to my fav big 3 🖤🩶
no stick to the holograms then have the cameras cut to tim in his seat like wtf is happening
Spurs celebrity row should just be all the greats wearing their rings
Retired Tim Duncan doesn’t exist. He is a product of our collective imagination
I was like “oh shit, are they all dead?”
they digitally replaced Parker with a young Kawhi Leonard, sorry
Side note: I absolutely HATE that American sports let the team owners raise the trophies before the players. Will some owner please please please break this tradition and end it forever?
I think Peter Holt did that for our last championship where the trophy was handed to him and he handed it straight to the players.
Then they tried to interview him (Holt) and he put his finger to his mouth to indicate they should let the players celebrate a bit first.
Then he thanked the players, staff and fans.
Another show of why the Spurs had such a good run when the owners knows it is not his effort but the back of the players and staff.
Agreed. And yeah they’ll say, “but I own the team, I pay the bills!” Well… in many cases the city pays for the stadium, and you only get to pay the bills cause the fans pay through the roof to watch the games.
I would be happy with the coach and a player lifting it together, with the humble billionaire enjoying it from a distance.
I wait for this every time I watch a championship. You’d think that some smart owner would realize that he’d instantly earn priceless fan appreciation with a small act like that.
i guess you don’t mean literally but i’m not sure he could actually do that bruh
At least Sochan will be there. He can get ring no matter what happens.
The Popovich/Duncan era got their first ring against the Knicks.
We’ll see if the Johnson/Wembanyama era follows suit.
Mitch Johnson becomes the best coach in basketball if the Spurs win the Finals, I love everything about him man, he’s everything you want in a head coach.
Whoa now
Spo died
Mitch is a phoenix reborn from heat death
C’mon man. I’m sure he’s a good coach but adopting a 7’5 generational player and the roster he has, it’s difficult to evaluate whether he’s the best NBA coach. You think Spo, Kerr, Carlisle, Nurse couldn’t make the finals with this Spurs roster?
I think there is something to be said for such a young team skipping the growing pains of playoff success. It’s really not something you see often in the NBA, even with generational players.
Look how he man managed Carter Bryant through 6 games of this series, to ultimately get 3 crucial, clean minutes from him in Game 7.
2pts and 1 rebound on 1-1. Played solid D
Kerr wouldn’t - he’d have all the young guns riding the bench 😅
No he wouldn’t because the Spurs young guys play defense and rebound which is basically Steve’s only requirement for getting on the court.
Podz, young Poole even moody played plenty mins. The rest of their young guys were ass
Wemby would get injured playing 42 minutes a night under Nurse
Carlisle is clearly the best coach imo.
He basically did it twice, in 2 different cities with 2 inferior rosters than his opponents.
Hang on bro. This guy has a locked in flying unicorn playing for him. Let’s wait and see a few more years.
You should see how spurs fans feel about his coaching and ATOs but he coached damn well, takes time to adjust game to game though.
He coached the spurs into three top picks in 4 years /s
Edit: added /s for dense spurs fans
This is his first full years as head coach.
I agree with some of what you’re saying, especially given his energy with holding 1-15 on the roster accountable, but let’s not act like he’s pulling some crazy X’s and O’s with fucking Wemby out there.
I’m not even tryna turn this into a Wemby or Mitch Johnson situation, but without Wemby there is no Spurs after Pop.
This mf better not ever leave us. I swear.
Not unless you hire a guy named Nico. 👀
No worries Wemby’s not fat
Fat Wemby on his Boris Diaw arc has to happen before his career ends. gotta make sure of it
I want Wemby to rock up in a fat suit if we ever play the Mavs on 10⁄31 lol
if the San Antonio women are anything to go off of, then he’s in the right city for it.
Fortunately Wemby plays defense so I think he’ll be safe
IIRC there was an interview of him stating he wants to do all his career in the Spurs.
They all say that in the beginning. The only difference is I believe Wemby when he says that.
People need to give players room to grow and change though. A 19-20 year old being romantic about their team and career can mean it when they say that. But things change. I get it. Our words should mean something. But I hate it when people treat players too harshly about this. Especially if the team hasn’t held up their end of the bargain. If we screw it up Vic will absolutely leave. But thankfully it seems like they’ve knocked it out of the park so far.
With all due respect
I don’t blame them at all for being romantic early in their careers and then changing teams. My point is that LeBron, Kawhi, KD, Carmelo and many others have said early in their careers they’d liked to stay on the same team for life and they didn’t end up doing that. Shit, even Duncan was about to leave the Spurs for Orlando in the early ‘00s.
But I really believe Wemby will actually stay with the Spurs for his whole career if they can (and I’m sure they will) put competent teams around him,.
As long as the front office doesn’t screw him over, I dont think he will leave.
so far european stars have stayed in their drafted team
jokic - embid - wemby - giannis (i know i know) - luka (not his fault)
Why would he? Him, Harper and Castle along with Vassell, maybe Bryant are an insane core. Should be dynastic
Can’t max all of them. And if they do prove dynastic plenty of teams will be willing to throw money at all of them.
That said probably putting the cart before the horse here.
He might do a Tim Duncan move and cut his own pay for the others. Who knows?
I don’t want to jump the gun, but it seems completely in character for him to take a pay cut to help keep competitive roster together, no?
He’s already said he wants to play with one franchise his whole career like Tim Duncan. Most likely will be with you guys till the end.
Unless he adopts uncle Dennis into his family, hehehe.
“Nephew, there’s this great way we can earn even more money, let me show you”
He won’t. The Spurs culture ensures their humble superstars stay loyal
Unless your uncle is named Dennis
Does Wemby have an uncle named Dennis?
Honestly I doubt that ever happens
I love both of these guys so much. My childhood fandom and my adulthood fandom forever linked.
They should just fking sign Chris Paul as an assistant coach with some fat paychecks. Or atleast a consultant.
Those Wemby PnR and lob plays are CP3 coded. You can see how much 1 year of CP3 helped them find angles for Wemby and Wemby knowing how to position himself on PnRs. Imagine what Castle/Harper/Fox can do with Wemby if they can learn more
I would be happy if we could get Rondo as an assistant coach. I think he would be a great mentor to Castle and Harper as well.
Last night Rondo would have fought Caruso with Castle instead of restraining him like Harper
You need both kinds of energy on the team lol. Pretty sure Rashard Lewis would there fighting with Castle as well and he has been good as our skills coach.
i wonder how CP3 feels watching this series. he was a bit influential to their status today as the best teams in the league
I hate CP3. He’s a punk and Rondo got the last laugh.
But damn is his influence on both OKC and the Spurs undeniable. And I think he would be a great player development coach.
I’m going to say something that might be kinda weird but hear me out:
If Pop managed to groom the perfect successor to continue the streak of San Antonio excellence, I think that would be a really fantastic argument in his case to be the GOAT coach.
His coaching tree also is truly insane. Seems like half the league coaches coached under Pop at some point
Paging Mike Brown with his 2003 Spurs Championship Ring.
Activate sleeper agent Brown
It was basically guaranteed if you worked for pop you are getting a head coach position somewhere
Yeah, but unlike Belichick his guys (and gal) have good track records.
I’m so proud to be a Spurs fan
There is no team I respect more than the spurs and there’s no man in basketball I respect more than Popovic. This should be a great finals!
As you should be. Hopefully your core remains healthy for years.
Yeah fr this kid is exemplary
There are no words to describe the envy I feel for Spurs fans.
Wemby is too likeable… the kid has a good head on his shoulder, he’s humble, and I hope he can remain this level headed throughout his career, which is not going to be easy because he’s likely going to be surrounded by “yes men” and treated like a God everywhere he goes… I really hope he keep people around him who keep him grounded and in check.
He is in one of the few organizations in the NBA that doesn’t give a fuck who you are they will hold you accountable and teach you how to be an unselfish basketball player and human being. Not even a spurs fan but it’s just a fact
This is true. Imagine what the Lakers would do to him lol
He’s also very self aware, so that helps.
I mean he’s genuinely such a good human being. I’m a spurs fan but man just to have someone like that representing the nba is a blessing and a privilege
Genuine concern of mine as well.
“I should call him”
one more trophy for Pop pls
Low key super wholesome
People don’t know what low key means anymore
Low key you didn’t have to say low key
As a Mavs fan, hated the Spurs growing up but other than Bruce Bowen it’s a class organization and perhaps the best run in American sports in our lifetimes.
They have the opportunity to win titles in FOUR consecutive decades
I hear ya, I loathed the Mavs during the 2000’s. That Manu foul on Dirk in game 7 of the 2006 WCF’s was devastating.
But watching y’all’s 2011 playoff run was top tier basketball and I was rooting for y’all that run. One of the best championship runs I’ve seen. Dirk getting that ring and playing out of his mind was awesome.
Respect for sure. The way you guys sent off Dirk - incredibly classy. Was a good closing to a great era of competition
MY WHOLE ACTUAL ENTIRE HEART. GOD I love these guys.
I need to do the same with some of my mentors 😔
Call me too
Isn’t it a win for everyone that Victor ended up on the Spurs? Look at the teams behind the Spurs in the 2023 draft. Charlotte, Portland, Detroit, Orlando, Houston. Which of those teams ishe even sniffing this level of success and support with? Maybe Houston? It feels like with most of these teams he’d already be on the IL rehabbing a serious injury.
Detroit was the 1 seed this year Cade and Wemby would be lethal
Agreed, he would be crushing on the Pistons and that city would idolize him.
We are a ridiculous lucky franchise.
I was only rooting for y’all cuz every fiber of my being wanted Thunder and Shai to fail. Otherwise, yea, it sometimes feels like everything goes Spurs way to float them to the top again. I know there’s more to it and it’s a good organization, but still.
Kendrick Lamar voice
GET POP ON THE PHONE
Said it won’t be long
Does Pop get a ring and will it be in the record books?
answer is yes
https://imgur.com/a/mGXTi62
those are pat’s rings, it will be in the “executive” section
In pop we trust.
I imagine having an NBA legend working in the same gyms as you as he’s going through a stroke recovery leaves a mark.
From a Knicks fan, we love you wemby. Excited to face off with you next week. Excited for you and proud of the way you carry yourself!
I’m so proud of this team.
Winning this Title 4 Pop 🏆🏀👽💯
There’s a reason he’s El Jefe
I’m a Bulls fan but I can’t praise Wemby enough. I really hope he and the spurs go on and be champs. No hate for the Knicks! both teams are great.
man is only 22 years old , stay healthy wemby. the peoples champ
Hard not to like this kid. The awareness at his age is refreshing to see when I see so many grown ass adults being so clueless and lacking basic humility.
Phil.Jackson fans in shambles.
I don’t think anyone’s a Phil Jackson fan lol
He’s an amazing coach of course, but like some of the legends he coached, he has a huge ego and is a huge asshole
There’s a reason players don’t speak of him the same way they do of Pop or even Kerr
Man I don’t know why I thought of this, but I just thought of the FX clippers show and Chris Paul crying and what it’d be like to have that quality of casting and writing for Wemby.
Like I could imagine some cheesy melodrama where it keeps cutting to a lanky average height guy for Wemby then a dramatic shot for Pop in a hospital bed with tubes up his nose muttering, “win… win!” as the heart rate monitor beeps faster, cutting back and forth to clips of Wemby making shots.