Gregg Popovich got lucky. Some would say he quite possibly is he luckiest man in the history of the NBA. Coach Pop walked into the job with the San Antonio Spurs in 1996 with a team that had no direction but down. They lost, and in the 1997 NBA Draft they lucked out by securing the number 1 overall pick. The number 1 player was without a doubt Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest.
No one knew at the time that the Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich relationship would result in overwhelming success. Five NBA championships, over 1,000 wins and a winning percentage over 70% with both men leading the franchise. It was a match made in heaven and something that everyone recognized as legendary.
The two men were both quiet at times but emotional when it counted. They both kept to themselves but also stood up for what they believed in. They both led without noise and they both won without wanting any fanfare.
When Duncan announced his retirement, he did it in the most Tim Duncan way possible. He said nothing. He let the Spurs handle the press release and Duncan didn’t include any words of his own. Even when it came to the press conference, he wasn’t even there. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich talked to the media and handled the Duncan departure with class and proper emotions.
