Gregg Popovich unveils unofficial new job title in touching moment with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili

I’m telling you, you love it, because I’m demanding that of you.

I can understand a lot of fan bases, especially in the Western Conference, not having particularly fond feelings for the San Antonio Spurs. For what felt like decades, they were playoff monsters. David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker were at the top year after year after year.

I can relate to that as a Pistons fan. I wanted that 2005 championship. I despised Bruce Bowen. Their commentary team were one of the first, back in the day, that convinced me to start watching games on mute. (Please, just give me a clean arena feed.)

But with all that said, you couldn’t help but love them. The last hurrah of that great nucleus was “The Beautiful Game” team in 2014. Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker were no longer the athletes they used to be, but that team outplayed what was, to that point, maybe the highest concentration of talent the league had ever seen.

In charge of all of this was Gregg Popovich. He won Coach of the Year three times, and managed not to get fired within five years of that award all three times. A rare feat. He’s won five championships. He was in charge of the Olympic team in 2020 and won a gold medal. There’s the possibility that he was a spy. He’s outspoken with his care and concern for marginalized communities. He took his job more seriously than many surrounding him in the NBA space were prepared for. He’s basically everything you could want in a coach.

Well…

Gregg Popovich is no longer coach of the San Antonio Spurs. He’s El Jefe

Here he is, flanked by his former stars Manu and Tim revealing his title.

And his cool shirt. I want that shirt. I might make my own shirt like that. Did you know you can make custom shirts on Amazon for only like $12? I had this T-Shirt idea I’ve wanted to make since I was probably 20 that has some clip art of people and a boat, then there’s text that says “You You Canoe November 18” and no further detail. That shirt should be coming in tomorrow.

Amazon is destroying the world. Don’t be like me. Don’t do that.

Instead, appreciate this moment. I love stuff like this. I wish I could write about stuff like this all the time. Popovich is one of the few coaches who have been successful enough and fortunate enough to make a smooth transition from a storied career of coaching to a well-deserved, maybe less hectic position with the same franchise. Victor Wembanyama is here now. Why would you step away if you don’t have to?

Anyway, I hope Gregg’s time as El Jefe (President of Basketball Operations) is as fruitful as his time as coach. I can imagine there are many other people who feel the exact opposite.