Gregg Popovich, the winningest head coach in NBA history, has stepped down from the helm of the San Antonio Spurs, ceding the bench to longtime assistant Mitch Johnson. Popovich, who suffered a stroke in November and had been on indefinite leave, will now serve as team president.
Popovich’s coaching tree, which has grown over 29 seasons in San Antonio, quite literally extends its branches to every corner of the NBA. Here’s a look at Pop’s legendary coaching career by the numbers:
.371: Pop’s winning percentage at Pomona-Pitzer. Despite a record of 76-129, Popovich guided the Sagehens to their first NCAA Division III tournament berth in 1986.
.577: Pop’s shooting percentage at the 1972 U.S. Olympic basketball trials. Although he was among the final cuts for the Olympic team, Popovich later coached Team USA to gold in the 2020 Tokyo games.
1: Pop’s gold medal as head coach of the 2020 U.S. Olympic team. Popovich previously served as an assistant under Larry Brown at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
3.024%: Odds of winning the David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and Victor Wembanyama draft lotteries. Popovich’s strategic decisions led to these pivotal draft picks for the Spurs.
5-1: Popovich’s record in the NBA Finals. Alongside Tim Duncan, Popovich led the Spurs to five championships.
7: The number of Hall of Fame players Popovich has coached, including David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker.
22: Seasons with consecutive playoff appearances. Popovich holds the NBA record for the longest streak of playoff appearances.
67: Pop’s most wins in a regular season (2015-16). The Spurs achieved this feat in Duncan’s last season with Kawhi Leonard emerging as a star.
78-77: Final score of a title-clinching Game 5 of the 1999 NBA Finals. The Spurs won their first championship with a strong defensive performance.
110-95: Final score of a title-clinching Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals. The Spurs’ international-flavored offense decimated the Miami Heat.
1,589: Wins in the regular season and playoffs (most in NBA history). Popovich broke Don Nelson’s all-time coaching wins record in March 2022.
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