Ahead of Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals, ESPN's Stephen A Smith highlighted why San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who has held a steady voice throughout his team's deep playoff run, is among the greatest coaches of all time. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson took over last season due to Popovich's health issues, but the Hall of Fame head coach has remained close to the team throughout their playoff run.
Before Game 1 of the Finals, Smith reminded fans of Popovich's greatness, per ESPN's First Take.
“Gregg Popovich is one of the greatest coaches to have ever coached basketball,” Smith said. “And it wasn't just about Xs and Os. It's the mental that he's a specialist in. I know this because Larry Brown taught me that about him. Larry Brown raved about Gregg Popovich and what he brought to the table. I remember when Gregg Popovich won his first ring, and the next season, the Sixers were their home opener.
“And Gregg Popovich walked over to Larry Brown. Sat down next to him on the bench just to show him this ring that he obviously felt Larry Brown helped him earn because he had been under the tutelage of Larry Brown for so many years.”
And although Popovich is no longer on the Spurs' coaching staff, he's technically continued to help behind the scenes.
“Gregg Popovich is one of the all-time greats. And he ain't sitting at home in some rocking chair, leaving everything to Mitch Johnson and everybody else,” Smith added. “This man is in their ear.”
Popovich suffered a mild stroke during the 2024-25 season and has transitioned into a full-time role as the team's president.
Victor Wembanyama's conversation with Gregg Popovich after Game 7 win
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Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) listens to a question during media day for the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center
Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama revealed his talk with Gregg Popovich during the Finals' Media Day. After beating the Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, Wembanyama couldn't wait to speak with the first NBA coach of his career.
Upon arriving at his first NBA Finals, Wembanyama couldn't wait to speak with Popovich, he said, per Spurs Nation's X, formerly Twitter.
“Yes, of course, I saw Pop right away when we landed, and the emotion was really something I haven’t felt in a while,” Wembanyama explained. “I don’t even know since when. Coming back down from this is a challenge, and it’s not done yet. We still need to really come back down to earth and realize that we haven’t done the hardest yet. The job isn’t done at all. We still got about 30 plus hours to reset.”
The Spurs will host the Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday.
Ahead of Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals, ESPN's Stephen A Smith highlighted why San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who has held a steady voice throughout his team's deep playoff run, is among the greatest coaches of all time. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson took over last season due to Popovich's health issues, but the Hall of Fame head coach has remained close to the team throughout their playoff run.