Gregg Popovich was the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs for 29 long seasons. During that tenure, he led them to five championships, firmly establishing himself as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.
Since he had to retire, Pop has still been present in the Spurs organization as the team president. He still has a booming voice in the locker room, which was apparent after an embarrassing Game 3 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
De'Aaron Fox reveals how Gregg Popovich motivated the Spurs after Game 3
It was clear when the Spurs started off hot in Game 4 that they were ready to beat the Thunder. They were already dominant at the start of Game 3, but they let their lead go, and then they eventually got blown out by 15 points.
That was an unacceptable result, which was echoed by Popovich after Game 3. Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox revealed that the Spurs icon was present in the locker room, where he unloaded on his team.
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This was the reality check that the Spurs needed because having Popovich speak to them opened their eyes. That was clear because the Spurs were otherworldly during Game 4 of the WCF.
"We lost Game 3, and Pop's been around all season. That was the first time he walked into the locker room and was like 'Nah, that's BS. That's not how we play basketball.' He had some choice words for us," Fox revealed to Tracy McGrady on the NBC post-game show.
"That was the first time all season that he came into the locker room right after a game and told us how he felt."
It was a much-needed boost that worked out for the Spurs. Popovich might not be coaching anymore with Mitch Johnson in charge, but he is still with the organization. as long as he is there, his fingerprints and impact will always be quite apparent.
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