When it comes to great coaches in the NBA, Gregg Popovich is right there. The 72-year-old is one of the most respected veterans in the league, having coached the Spurs for over 2 decades. Coach Pop is a 5x NBA champion with the San Antonio team.
The 3x coach of the year has mentored superstars, such as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, and David Robinson. Coach Pop has won 5 out of his 6 trips to the NBA Finals.
An interesting statistic on Reddit shows that there have been only 3 players to score 50+ points in Pop’s era of coaching the Spurs.
3. Kyrie Irving
One of the most skilled guards to ever grace the NBA hardwood, Irving is an exceptional ball-handler. The 7x All-Star’s ability to finish at the rim is none like we’ve ever seen before. The former rookie of the year has had four games with 50+ points in the NBA so far.
Uncle Drew is the first player to have a 50+ point performance against the San Antonio Spurs when coached under Gregg Popowich.
In the 2014-15 regular season, Irving dropped 57 points against the Spurs. The former NBA champion shot 62.5% from the field and was a perfect 100% from the 3-point line.
2. Jason Tatum
Only a few years into the league, Tatum has impressed everyone with his on-court dominance. The 2x All-Star has had six games so far, with 40+ points in his career.
Earlier this year, the 23-year old dropped 60 points against the Spurs. Tatum was 54.1% from the field and 71.4% from the 3-point line.
Tatum and Larry Bird are the only 2 players in Celtics history to record a 60 point performance.
1. James Harden
One of the most prolific scorers in the league, Harden is a 3x scoring champion. In his 12 seasons so far, the 9x All-Star has had 23 games with 50+ points, out of which two have been against the San Antonio Spurs.
Harden had his career-high 61 points performance against the Spurs during the 2018-19 season. The former MVP was 55.9% from the field and 69.2% from the 3-point line.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that Coach Pop is a future Hall of Famer, as his resume speaks for himself. The 4x All-Star head coach holds a winning percentage of 66.7. Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that players such as Irving, Tatum and, Harden are generational talents.
