Greggo Popovich is one of the greatest coaches in the NBA today. And while in the past, he has boasted the honor of coaching some of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, right now he is the coach of a very young San Antonio Spurs squad and trying to develop the young talent into future superstars.
Popovich helped the Spurs become one of the best teams in the NBA for 15 years, as the arrival of Tim Duncan made them a formidable force. Between 1999 and 2014, the Spurs won 5 NBA championships and went to 6 NBA Finals. Their run at the top was incredible, and they defeated some all-time great teams to find that success.
But as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili called time on their careers, and with star player Kawhi Leonard leaving in 2018, the Spurs have fallen from grace, and are no longer the perennial contenders they used to be. Popovich has now been trusted with developing the youth prospects before he eventually steps down as well.
And he had a hilarious comment about how he would help lift the spirits of the young team during trying times. In a press conference, Popovich was asked about maintaining team morale, and he joked that he would bring the young players presents and Cocoa Puffs cereal to keep them happy.
“We bring them presents and Cocoa Puffs. Try to keep them smiling, that sort of thing.”
While his coaching is his renowned asset, Pop also has a great sense of humor. Pop once instructed the Spurs to foul Shaquille O’Neal within seconds of a game starting as a joke, and neither he nor Shaq could contain their laughter after the prank was pulled off.
The Spurs know that they won’t have Popovich around for that much longer, and are even preparing for him to leave within the next 1-2 years. So their ambition is for the young players to learn under him so that the next coach will have a highly disciplined and well-coached young roster to work wit
