In a conversation with Jabari Young of The Athletic, former Spurs swingman and NBA veteran Quincy Pondexter reveals his post-playing career goal of becoming a head coach in the NBA, an aspiration that the 31-year-old is already working toward every day.
“One day,” Pondexter said, “I want to be the man on the sideline that not only has a positive influence but a helluva coach. And someone that gets wins.”
According to Young, Pondexter’s urge to become a head coach started a few years ago, in 2015, when he started an AAU program known as California United. He struggled to find a coach to enact his vision, so he decided to take on the responsibility of coaching the team himself.
“I wanted to make sure it was done the right way,” Pondexter recalled. “I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to do it because I don’t trust other people.'”
Pondexter gathered a group of close friends to assist with the team but ended up funding all travel, boarding, and food himself. The money he had, but the time he needed to put in and the issues he needed to overcome in order to be successful was something that he learned throughout the process.
“There is so much you have to deal with,” Pondexter said, “and that is a lot of kids that you’re responsible for, but it’s a great honor to be trusted with that.”
Pondexter remains an unrestricted free agent, though he still hopes to land a deal with a team that would give him the opportunity to play “meaningful minutes.”