Until Gregg Popovich says otherwise, it’s best to assume the veteran coach will continue with the San Antonio Spurs next season, as Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News notes.
If the 73-year-old coach returns for the 2022-23 season, it will be his 26th in the San Antonio Spurs’ bench. Finger noted Popovich will decide when he will step down from the position, and he’s probably intrigued for next season with the young Spurs.
After the loss in the play-in tournament, Popovich called a question about his future inappropriate at that time. The Spurs made the playoffs for 22 straight years under the 73-year-old, whose 1,336 regular-season wins are first all time.
He led the Spurs to 19 50-win or more seasons during that span winning five NBA titles in the process. In any case, Popovich has not given any indication he will stop coaching, at least for the next season.
When he decides to move away from the coaching job, the Spurs have the connections and a considerable number of coaches, who are attached to the Spurs and Popovich. Steve Kerr and Ime Udoka, the two NBA finalists this year, played or worked alongside Popovich.
The same goes for Mike Budenholzer and Monty Williams, who reached the NBA Finals with the Bucks and the Suns respectively last season. Finger noted Quin Snyder, who recently parted ways with the Utah Jazz, another coach connected to the Spurs’ tree, could be Popovich’s successor if the winningest coach decides to retire.
In any case, the legendary coach will likely be on the sidelines at the start of the 2022-23 season. The Spurs are hoping to build a winning team again after their successful run with Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
