San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich Oct 31, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich speaks with forward Keldon Johnson (0) during the second quarter of the game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Dispiriting news out of San Antonio broke on a busy Saturday night. The San Antonio Spurs don’t expect legendary head coach and team president Gregg Popovich to return to the team this season.

As the 76-year-old Basketball Hall of Famer deals with health issues, dating back to a stroke he suffered in November, Popovich had stepped away from the team earlier this year. But as the season winds down, time has seemingly run out on a window for him to return to the team.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the unfortunate update on Saturday night.

“San Antonio Spurs Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich is not expected to return this season, and his future is uncertain as he recovers from a mild stroke suffered in November,” Charania said.

Popovich is undoubtedly one of the best basketball coaches of all time. His command and presence helped the Spurs become one of the best and consistently strongest teams in the NBA for over two decades.

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Pop’s Spurs won in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and the 2014 seasons. His five championships were all won with Hall of Famers and Spurs legends like Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Manu Ginobili and more.

But Popovich’s health is paramount. If he can’t make it work, then he should do what’s best for him.

If this is the end, it’s been an incredible run for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.

About Chris Novak

Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022