The San Antonio Spurs will be down two major pieces in the stretch run of this season.
Head coach Gregg Popovich told the Spurs that he will not return to the team this season after suffering a stroke earlier in the year, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Thursday.
According to Haynes, Popovich addressed the team on Thursday for the first time since suffering his stroke in November. He updated them on his recovery and informed them he wouldn’t be back this season.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week that Popovich wasn’t expected to return and that his future with the team and in basketball remains uncertain.
Popovich had the stroke, a mild one as described by the team, on Nov. 2 at the Spurs’ arena. At the time of the news, the team said the 76-year-old bench boss had begun a rehabilitation program with the belief that he would make a full recovery. The team released no other details, including what aftereffects of the stroke — if any — that he is dealing with.
Popovich is the NBA’s all-time wins leader who has led the Spurs to five championships. Additionally, he guided USA Basketball to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He is in his 29th season as coach of the Spurs.
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has been the acting head coach in Popovich’s absence. The Spurs are 24-33, good for 13th in the Western Conference, but are 1-4 since losing superstar Victor Wembanyama for the season due to a blood-clot issue.
Wembanyama is beginning treatment immediately and the Spurs are working under the expectation that the seven-foot-three centre from France will fully recover, per multiple reports. His condition — deep vein thrombosis — was diagnosed this week after he returned from the All-Star Game in San Francisco, the Spurs said Thursday. It is almost always treated with blood-thinning medication, and more evaluation will be needed.
— With files from the Associated Press