Gregg Popovich Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Thompson, Popovich, Grizzlies, Jensen

March 18th, 2025 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets wing Amen Thompson is making progress in his recovery from an ankle sprain and could return to action as soon as this Friday, head coach Ime Udoka said on Monday, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

According to Udoka, Thompson will travel with the team on its two-game road trip to Orlando on Wednesday and Miami on Friday and has “one more hurdle to pass” before he’s cleared to return — he’s still not taking full contact.

“If he does that, could be Miami, could be when we get back (from the road trip),” Udoka said. “Swelling has gone down, pain’s gone down. Flexibility, mobility has gone up, and he’s just got to go through a contact portion. Once he does that we’re going to see how he reacts to that and he’ll be good to go after. So hopefully, sooner than later.”

Thompson, who has missed Houston’s past five games, is enjoying a second-year breakout, with averages of 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 60 outings (33 starts) this season.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright take a behind-the-scenes look at Gregg Popovich‘s recovery from the stroke he suffered in the fall, noting that it remains up in the air whether the longtime Spurs head coach will return to the sidelines next season. “It’s Pop’s decision,” a source close to the situation told ESPN. “He’s earned that.”
The Grizzlies fell to Sacramento on Monday despite getting 44 points from Desmond Bane, just three days after losing to Cleveland in a game in which Ja Morant scored 44 of his own. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the team’s top three offensive scorers – Morant, Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., who had 31 in Saturday’s win – are all playing well recently, but the challenge for the Grizzlies will be to have them all available and get them all going at the same time. Morant has missed the past two games due to shoulder and hamstring issues.
Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen, who has been hired as the University of Utah’s new head coach, explained on Monday that he feels like finishing the season in Dallas is “the right thing to do,” even though it might make it “a little more difficult” to build out his Utes staff. John Coon of The Associated Press has the story and the quotes from Jensen.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Mavericks, Popovich, Spurs

February 28th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Luke Adams

With Brandon Ingram no longer on the roster and Dejounte Murray out with a long-term injury, Zion Williamson will have to shoulder more leadership responsibilities for the Pelicans both on and off the court, says William Guillory of The Athletic. While there have been questions in the past about Williamson’s conditioning habits and the way he has communicated with the organization, he has earned rave reviews for the work he has put in behind the scenes this season, according to Guillory.

“I feel like he’s been a lot more locked in. He’s been taking it really seriously. You see a different look in his eye,” teammate Trey Murphy said. “He’s just ready to build and keep building chemistry and figure out what we’re doing.”

The former No. 1 overall pick led New Orleans to its third straight win on Thursday by recording the first triple-double of his career, with 27 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, as David Brandt of The Associated Press details. New Orleans outscored Phoenix by 17 points during Williamson’s 31 minutes on the court.

“It’s a reminder to the NBA, to the fans, to everybody,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said after the victory. “This is who he can be, night in and night out. That’s what we’re all striving to accomplish as a group. We’re striving to get our best player on the floor.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has his work cut out for him with his top three big men injured, Moses Brown‘s 10-day contract close to expiring, Dwight Powell on a restriction of 10-12 minutes per game, and Kessler Edwards just 10 appearances away from his limit of 50 active games, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Brown – who had 20 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday’s win over Chicago – can’t be re-signed until April 10 once his 10-day deal expires due to Dallas’ hard cap situation, which will also prevent the team from promoting Edwards to the 15-man roster until the final week of the season.
The Dallas Morning News staff takes a closer look at what we know so far about the possibility of a new arena for the Mavericks, including the city of Irving’s efforts to lure the Mavs out of Dallas.
Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today on Thursday (YouTube link), Shams Charania of ESPN provided a few more details on the first in-person meeting between Gregg Popovich and his players since the Spurs head coach suffered a stroke in the fall. Charania says that “tears were shed” during the meeting and notes that Popovich hasn’t given up hope of resuming his coaching career, even though he won’t be back this season.

Spurs’ Gregg Popovich Won’t Coach Again This Season

February 27th, 2025 at 1:26pm CST by Rory Maher

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that Gregg Popovich, who suffered a mild stroke in November, was unlikely to resume his role as head coach of the Spurs this season.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Popovich met with the team on Wednesday for the first since the stroke to provide an update on his recovery and to inform them that he would not coach again in 2024/25.

Charania describes the in-person meeting as “emotional,” adding (via Twitter) that Popovich’s long-term future is uncertain as he continues to recover.

Popovich confirmed in a press release (Twitter link via the Spurs) that he won’t return as head coach this season. Notably, he did say he hopes to resume coaching down the line.

“I’ve decided not to return to the sidelines this season,” Popovich said. “(Acting head coach) Mitch Johnson and his staff have done a wonderful job and the resolve and professionalism the players have shown, sticking together during a challenging season, has been outstanding.

“I will continue to focus on my health with the hope that I can return to coaching in the future.”

As Popovich mentioned, it has been a difficult season in San Antonio. In addition to being without the longest-tenured coach in the NBA, the Spurs had an “emotionally taxing” trip to France for a pair of games against Indiana, completed a major in-season trade — a rarity for the Spurs — for De’Aaron Fox, and recently learned that franchise player Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of 2024/25 after he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder.

The Spurs have been struggling lately, dropping their last four games. They’re currently 24-33, five-and-a-half games behind Sacramento for the final play-in spot in the West. On the other hand, the team’s lottery odds have improved — San Antonio’s pick now has a 4.5% chance to become the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 draft lottery, per Tankathon.

Popovich, 76, is the NBA’s all-time leader in head coaching wins, with a 1,391-824 regular season record (.628). He ranks third in playoff wins at 170, behind Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171). Popovich, who is also San Antonio’s president, has won five championships while guiding the club since ’96/97, and has been with the organization since 1988.

We at Hoops Rumors send our best wishes to Popovich during his recovery.

Gregg Popovich Not Expected To Resume Coaching This Season

February 22nd, 2025 at 6:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gregg Popovich, who suffered a mild stroke in November, is unlikely to resume his coaching duties with the Spurs before the end of the season, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). His long-term coaching future remains uncertain, Charania adds.

Popovich, who turned 76 last month, has been out of the public eye since a health emergency forced him to miss a November 2 game. The team later announced that it was a stroke, and the long-time coach issued a statement in December saying that he was planning to return to the sidelines whenever his health would allow it.

When the Spurs traveled to Paris in January, team CEO R.C. Buford told reporters that Popovich was “attacking his rehab with the same resilience” that he typically displayed on the team’s bench. However, Buford added that it wasn’t possible to project a timeline for recovery.

Acting coach Mitch Johnson will finish out the season and would presumably be a strong candidate to take over the job on a permanent basis if Popovich is unable to return. Johnson has been part of the Spurs’ coaching staff since 2019 and was an assistant with their G League affiliate in Austin for three years before that.

At 24-30, San Antonio remains in the race for a play-in spot, just three games behind 10th-place Sacramento, although the team’s playoff hopes took a major blow with this week’s announcement that Victor Wembanyama will be lost for the season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder,

Popovich is the NBA’s all-time leader in head coaching wins, with a 1,391-824 regular season record (.628). His history with the team dates back to 1988, and he has served as head coach since taking over midway through the 1996/97 season.

Buford: No Timeline For Gregg Popovich’s Return To Spurs

January 22nd, 2025 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

After suffering a stroke in the fall, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is “attacking his rehab with the same resilience” that he has exhibited for decades on the team’s bench, team CEO R.C. Buford told reporters in Paris on Wednesday, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

While Buford isn’t ruling out the possibility that Popovich will resume his coaching duties for the Spurs later this season, he said it’s impossible to say for sure — or to project a recovery timeline for the longtime head coach, who will turn 76 next Tuesday.

“His improvement continues to get better, (but) I don’t know that we have any way to judge the clock,” Buford said. “Predicting what’s to come is just a function of where Pop’s rehab goes.”

Popovich initially stepped away from the Spurs in early November due to what was described at the time as a health issue. The club later put out a statement announcing that Popovich had suffered a mild stroke, and he subsequently issued a statement of his own in December that hinted he planned to return to the sidelines for the Spurs if and when his health allowed.

In the meantime, acting head coach Mitch Johnson continues to lead the club and has San Antonio within striking distance of a play-in spot at 19-22. According to Vardon, Johnson described his communication with Popovich as “consistent.”

“He is watching games, still as opinionated as he’s ever been, and competitive, and what you would think — giving praise and cussing me out, all at the same time,” Johnson said, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

“Pop’s health has been the priority since the start of this and until dot-dot-dot. That’s kind of how we, and I, take the approach. We want the best for Pop and I want the best for this team and however I can help is where I’ll put my energy.”

Chris Paul also said he remains in contact with Popovich, telling the media in Paris that the Spurs coach is in touch with players via phone.

“I’m not even sure if this is public, but he calls,” Paul said. “He calls after games and I talk to him, and he tells me what he sees, and I appreciate that more than anything because he doesn’t have to do that. And he does.”

As Vardon writes in a separate story for The Athletic, if Popovich were in France on the current road trip, he likely would have taken the Spurs out to a posh Paris restaurant for the sort of “wine-soaked” team dinner he’s known for. Instead, it was second-year star Victor Wembanyama who took the lead on that team dinner on Monday after the club arrived in his native country, per Vardon.

“We talked about it — Pop had a schedule here, and he would have done something like that too,” Wembanyama said. “Doing that on the first day was important for me to welcome (teammates) and to show them, because I know if I went to any of these guys’ country or city, I would have loved to find out about about where they come from to learn to know them better because they’re they’re all good human beings. So really, it’s a real chance to share these moments together.”

Southwest Notes: Popovich, Thompson, Morant, Boston

December 16th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has released a statement via the team’s PR department regarding his recovery from a stroke and the support he’s received since he stepped away from the team (Twitter link). Popovich mentioned that he anticipated returning to coaching at some point.

“This has certainly been an unexpected six weeks for my family and me,” Popovich said. “As we work together on my recovery, I want to take a moment to share that the outpouring of support we’ve received during this time has been truly overwhelming in the best possible way. While I wish I could get back to each one of you, for now, let me say that my family and I are forever grateful. We’re thankful for our wonderful community, the entire Spurs organization, and our family and friends.

“No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process. They’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable.”

Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2. This was his first public statement since the Spurs initially announced he would be away from the team. Assistant Mitch Johnson has served as the club’s acting head coach in Popovich’s absence.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Longtime Warriors guard Klay Thompson scored a season-high 29 points in the Mavericks’ win at Golden State on Sunday. It was the second trip back to his former home arena and Thompson said he was much more relaxed. “Way easier,” Thompson said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Especially not seeing all the captain’s hats. I saw a few of those. Much easier. Felt more settled in than the first time I was out here.” Warriors employees lined up along the walls of the ramp where the visiting team arrives at Chase Center and saluted Thompson with a tip of a captain’s hat in Dallas’ first trip there last month.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said earlier this month that he doesn’t want to dunk anymore as he tries to avoid injuries any way he can. However, his teammates are somewhat skeptical, according to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I don’t think that he’s serious,” forward Brandon Clarke said. “I just don’t think that he’s going to dunk as many on people because that’s when it’s a risk of getting fouled hard or getting hurt.”
The Pelicans lost their 13th straight road game on Sunday but they got a strong effort from reserve two-way player Brandon Boston, who scored 20 points to lead five Pelicans in double figures. “His confidence is growing more and more as he progresses throughout the season,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said, per the Associated Press. “He’s understanding his role. He’s started some games. Right now he’s in the second unit. He’s getting solid minutes each and every game and he’s very confident in what he can do once he touches the floor.”

Spurs Notes: M. Johnson, Popovich, Harrison, Castle, DeRozan

December 1st, 2024 at 7:22pm CST by Rory Maher

Assistant Mitch Johnson has compiled an 8-6 record in 2024/25 serving as acting head coach while Gregg Popovich recovers from what the Spurs called a “mild stroke.” While that record is impressive, particularly given what oddsmakers thought of the team entering the season, it doesn’t necessarily reflect how pleased the organization has been with Johnson’s performance.

According to Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link), there’s a “universal sentiment” from both the front office and the locker room that the team is “thrilled with how Johnson has carried himself.”

A former Stanford point guard, Johnson became a Spurs assistant in 2016, and was promoted to a front-of-bench role in 2019. As Finger observes, the 38-year-old also served as acting head coach for one game each in 2021 and 2023 when Popovich was unavailable, yet another sign of how highly San Antonio views him as a person and as a coach.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

There have been no real updates on Popovich’s status beyond San Antonio continuing to say that he’ll be out indefinitely, but Finger writes that there’s a “strong possibility that Johnson will remain in charge for at least a few months.” Obviously, that strongly suggests that Popovich’s return isn’t imminent.
Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein hears the Spurs attempted to lure longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison away from the company “no less than three separate times” before he became the Mavericks‘ GM in 2021 (Substack link). Harrison, who now holds dual titles of GM and president of basketball operations, received a multiyear contract extension from Dallas in June.
No. 4 overall pick Stephon Castle is off to a strong start to his NBA career. Could he be the second consecutive Spur to win Rookie of the Year after Victor Wembanyama claimed the award last season? Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) considers that question, and lists several other rookies who are early contenders to be named the league’s top rookie. “He’s a really physical player for a rookie, and especially for a guard,” said Utah coach Will Hardy, who has seen Castle five times already including a preseason matchup. “He seems to be poised and competitive. All signs are saying he’s a good player and a really tough kid.”
Ahead of Sunday’s matchup against DeMar DeRozan and the Kings, McDonald (subscriber link) revisits the offseason sign-and-trade that saw the Spurs acquire Harrison Barnes and a 2031 first-round pick swap (from Sacramento) and DeRozan land with the Kings. DeRozan was “beloved” during his three seasons with the Spurs, and he continues to pay dividends for the organization three-plus years after his departure, according to McDonald, who notes that Chicago still owes its top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick — and its 2025 second-rounder — to San Antonio from the 2021 sign-and-trade that sent the six-time All-Star to the Bulls.

Southwest Notes: Gafford, Popovich, A. Holiday, Morant

November 23rd, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The game is more difficult for the Mavericks with Luka Doncic sidelined, but they’re finding ways to win without their injured star, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). Daniel Gafford played an important role Friday night with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals as Dallas kept its hopes of advancing in the NBA Cup alive with a victory at Denver. Gafford was one of seven Mavs to reach double figures as the team extended its winning streak to four.

“Just paying attention to detail a lot more,” Gafford said about playing without Doncic. “You’ve got to be near perfect when it comes to offense, but honestly, just stay the same as when he was here—taking care of business, having good spacing, and making sure the right guys have the ball in their hands.”

Gafford seems to be fully accustomed to playing for coach Jason Kidd after being acquired from Washington at last season’s trade deadline. He’s averaging a career high 12.6 points per game and leading the NBA with a 70.8% shooting percentage.

“I’m just getting better as the days go by,” Gafford added. “It’s about having patience and trying to expand my offensive game to make more plays. Teams are blitzing and switching more, so I’m figuring out how to make the right passes and take advantage of mismatches.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr offered enc0uraging words about Spurs coach Gregg Popovich before tonight’s game in San Antonio, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Kerr said he communicates frequently with Popovich, who has been away from the team since suffering a mild stroke on November 2, and “the doctors are feeling great about all of that.” Kerr has also been impressed by interim coach Mitch Johnson, who served as an assistant on Team USA this summer. “Mitch is really smart, a great teammate in the coaches’ room,” Kerr said. “He was a big part of all our conversations pre and post practice. He is a really good coach, good guy. I know Pop loves him and feels very strongly about what a good coach he is, and that’s what I saw in Las Vegas (during training for the Olympics).”
Rookie Reed Sheppard and veteran Aaron Holiday have earned spots in the Rockets‘ rotation by providing reliable three-point shooting, observes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Over a recent seven-game stretch, Holiday shot 45.5% from beyond the arc and Sheppard was at 38.9% as both guards are seeing more playing time. Holiday chose to re-sign with Houston in free agency this summer because he likes the city and believes in the future of the team, even though he knew his minutes might decrease.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is missing his eighth straight game with a hip injury tonight, but coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters that he’s been able to do some on-court workouts and continues to make progress (Twitter link from Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).

Southwest Notes: Pippen, Smart, V. Williams, Mavericks, Popovich, Wembanyama

November 13th, 2024 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s extra motivation for Grizzlies point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. any time he faces the Lakers, writes Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. Pippen signed a two-way contract with L.A. in 2022 after going undrafted out of Vanderbilt. He only appeared in six NBA games that season, but starred with the team’s South Bay affiliate in the G League. He returned to South Bay the following season before Memphis signed him in January of this year.

“It’s been full circle,” Pippen said. “When I was over there (in L.A.), not really much opportunity.”

The Grizzlies are 2-0 since Ja Morant was sidelined with a hip injury and Pippen took his place in the starting lineup. He’s making the most of the opportunity, posting a triple-double in his first start with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists last Friday and following that with 17 points and four rebounds on Sunday.

In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Pippen expanded on his time with the Lakers, saying he didn’t get much feedback from the people in charge.

“I was kind of in the dark with that,” he said. “I didn’t really know what they wanted from me and what they expected from me. Once I left there, I felt like it was a feeling that they didn’t want me there and that I didn’t have a future there. I didn’t really get too much dialogue on why I wasn’t there.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Grizzlies welcomed Marcus Smart back tonight after he missed two weeks with a sprained right ankle, per Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link). Vince Williams, who hasn’t played yet this season due to a stress reaction in the upper portion of his left tibia, has “looked fantastic” in workouts this week and may be ready to return Friday, Wallace adds (Twitter link).
The Mavericks need to solve their problems with late-game execution, observes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The Mavs have dropped three straight games by three points or less, leaving them in 12th place in the West when they could be near the top. “In the last two minutes, we have to get better,” coach Jason Kidd said. “The last three games, the last two minutes, we’ve turned the ball over. We haven’t been rebounding the ball. We can’t maintain offensive rebounds.”
In a session with reporters before Wednesday’s game, Spurs general manager Brian Wright said coach Gregg Popovich is “doing well” in his recovery from a mild stroke, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Wright also talked about the emotional toll on players and staff members from watching their leader deal with a medical emergency. “Coach Pop has been the leader of this organization for the last three decades, right?” Wright said. “And we all have come across or know people that just have a different aura, different presence about them, and clearly he’s one of those people. When we walk into the building each and every day, we feel that leadership, we feel that presence. And so not having him, there’s clearly a void and we miss him.”
In Wednesday’s win over Washington, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama scored 50 points for the first time in his NBA career. He’s the fourth-youngest player in league history to reach that mark, as well as the tallest, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.

Spurs’ Gregg Popovich Suffered Mild Stroke

November 13th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke on November 2, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Popovich, who will turn 76 in January, has started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the Spurs. A timeline for his return to the team’s bench has yet to be determined.

Word first broke on November 4 that Popovich would be away from the Spurs indefinitely due to a health issue that occurred two days earlier. However, this is the first we’ve heard that health issue described in more specific terms.

Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson has served as the club’s acting head coach in Popovich’s absence, leading San Antonio to a 3-3 record since taking the reins and earning praise from his players for how he has handled the new responsibilities. He figures to remain in that role for the foreseeable future until Popovich is healthy enough to resume his duties.

Popovich is the NBA’s all-time leader in head coaching wins, with a 1,391-824 regular season record (.628). He ranks third in playoff wins at 170, behind Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171).

We at Hoops Rumors send our best wishes to Popovich during his recovery.