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2026 is starting to echo 1999. Technological woes brought about by Y2K have become parallel to AI, a previously elected US President is currently serving his second term in the White House, and the San Antonio Spurs are facing off against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. One thing is missing though. While there is a Brunson playing on the Knicks side of the court, Coach Gregg Popovich is no longer the head coach of the Spurs, lurking on the sidelines.
Still, Popovich contributes to the Victor Wembanyama-led team's strategy, though he wishes he were on the sidelines as he was 27 years ago.
Coach Popovich gets melancholic about not coaching in Spurs-Knicks NBA Finals
Going down 2-0 in the NBA Finals is not an easy sight to experience. What makes that even worse? For Coach Gregg Popovich, it is that his heart and mind know it can still help Victor Wembanyama and Co. topple the Knicks, but his body no longer allows him to do so.
See, Coach Pop had a stroke on November 2, 2024. Since then, he has stepped down as the head coach of the Spurs, handed the keys over to Coach Mitch Johnson, and moved over to become the President of Basketball Operations instead.
Coach Popovich is still involved in the Spurs' schematics and rotations, but he obviously gives Coach Johnson a lot of leeway to run different schemes. When the former Spurs head honcho was asked by Antonio Daniels about not being able to coach Wembanyama against the Knicks, Coach Pop had a deeply reflective answer, via Game Over.
"We watched the game tonight in Pop's suite with him. I asked him tonight ‘Do you miss it?’ And he said, ‘You have no idea how much. I wish I were down there right now. So you best believe when this game's over, Pop is not going home and going to sleep. There are conversations to be had about adjustments that he sees upstairs," Daniels declared.
Coach Popovich is not just a former Spurs head coach. He is the living heart and mind of the organization. The Spurs won the title 27 years ago over the Knicks when he finally pushed David Robinson into title contention, and Tim Duncan rose to the occasion against Patrick Ewing. Coach Pop continued that dominance when he trained Tony Parker, Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner, Kawhi Leonard, and many more great players. This got the Spurs a whopping five NBA championships.
He now will likely have his last set of students in Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Carter Bryant, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Dylan Harper. So, being involved as much as he can despite the stroke and hardships that come along will be important.
1999 was a big year because the Spurs triumphed against a fairly loaded Knicks roster. This time around, for 2026, there will be changes in the NBA Finals, but no one, not even impediments due to a stroke, can take the heart of Coach Popovich away from the Spurs. Make no mistake, the Spurs mastermind still has his fingerprints all over this series.
If you see Horns Flare, 4-Out 1-In, Hammer, or Motion Strong in action, just know that it was Coach Popovich who perfected those schemes to get Wembanyama's Spurs where they are. It's all because 'Por Vida' does not just stand as a battle cry; it's a mantra tailored after Coach Pop, who has given his heart, soul, and mind to the Spurs for 38 years now.
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