Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is not the Marshawn Lynch of the NBA, he wants you to know
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All season long, but especially in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, much was made of Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch’s unwillingness to talk to the media. Whether his answer was “I’m just here so I won’t get fined,” or “thanks for asking,” reporters rarely got the answers they wanted from Lynch, and many of them derided him for it.
Now, many have started to draw comparisons between Lynch and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who is well-known for his cranky mid-game interviews with sideline reporters.
Popovich, for one, is not buying the comparison.
“The only time I’m uncooperative is the end of the first or third quarter,” Popovich told USA Today’s Sam Amick. “Other than that, I do interviews and laugh it up with everybody all the time. I just have a philosophical difference with the NBA, and I let them know it every time. But that’s like 1 percent of the interviews that I do.”
Popovich has been fighting to have in-game interviews removed from NBA broadcasts, saying that they’re distracting and that the media already has enough access to coaches without interviewing them in the middle of games.
“I’m going to say [that they should be eliminated] every year. I do [the mid-game interview], and then … two, three four times it’ll come up, and I’ll say I don’t agree with the NBA.” said Popovich. “They don’t need it. It’s superfluous. It’s awkward for the questioner. It puts the coach in a position where he looks ignorant or trite, or that ‘Well, one game at a time stuff,” or “Well, we’ll try to do better this quarter. Maybe we’ll shoot better.’ It’s just — it makes no sense. You can’t answer a question in 10 seconds. You can’t do it. I’ve gotten to the point where I have fun with them now. It’s part humor, part sarcasm. If I have a questioner who’s really kind of fun, then we really have a good time. Like (TNT’s Craig) Sager or somebody.”
For a closer look at Lynch vs. Popovich, you can watch these videos and compare and contrast, grade school-style.
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