Care & Challenge

Recently, Gregg Popovich stood down as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs after 29 seasons.

“Coach Pop” finishes with the most wins in NBA history, five championships, three Coach of the Year awards, and an Olympic gold medal.

But, Pop also finishes with something more valuable than his list of accolades: near-universal respect.

He’s already stated that it’s unlikely he ever writes a book, but he may not need to. A book could be fashioned out of the glowing comments he’s received from those he coached, and those who worked with him.

Like this 50-second reflection from DeMar DeRozan, who spent three seasons playing with the Spurs:

It was this kind of deep care for which Popovich became known, which is curious became he was about as ‘old school’ as they come. His feedback could be forceful, bordering on fearful.

“He used to go at Timmy (Duncan) and David (Robinson) in film sessions, like yell at the top of his lungs,” recalls Steve Kerr, who won two championships as a player under Popovich. “He’d really challenge them,” Kerr adds, “like, ‘You two MFers going to play, or what?!?’ We were all like, ‘Holy s—.’ But they loved him so much, and they knew he was right.”

It’s a rare breed of coach who will drive strong accountability from two Hall of Famers, while also being able to sit in a hotel room for hours crying with another (likely) Hall of Famer.

It’s usually one or the other. Popovich was both.

“Players believed Pop cared about them individually before he cared about them as basketball players,” says Terry Porter, who played three seasons for Popovich. “It was never just about basketball for Pop. He values family — your kids, your wife — and that helps with the buy-in, the trust.”

I want to impress upon you that when I say care, it goes beyond the fast-fashion version of care that we see in the modern world. This is not the ‘I care when there’s something in it for me’ type of care.

Popovich held the NBAs greatest player to account, but he was just as accountable. Andscape recently wrote a headline suggesting that Popovich’s true legacy was speaking up for marginalized communities.

He supported Colin Kaepernick’s protest, even as an Air Force veteran who completed five years of active duty.

In 2015, with two Australians on the roster, Popovich took the time to learn about Mabo Day, and shared the story of Eddie Mabo with the entire Spurs roster. Not to waste time or on an off-day. He did it during a pre-scout before the Spurs played the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

It’s not care or challenge.

It’s not care and challenge because it suits you right now.

It’s care and challenge because it’s the right thing to do. And always has been.