Gregg Popovich's Timeline for Return to Spurs After Stroke Uncertain, Buford Says
San Antonio Spurs CEO R.C. Buford was unable to provide a timeline for the return of Gregg Popovich when asked about the legendary head coach's status Wednesday.
Speaking to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Buford said the following regarding when or if Popovich will return to the sidelines after suffering a stroke: "His improvement continues to get better, [but] I don't know that we have any way to judge the clock. Predicting what's to come is just a function of where Pop's rehab goes."
Popovich, who turns 76 next Tuesday, has not coached in a game since suffering a "mild stroke" on Nov. 2.
In December, Popovich released his first statement since the stroke, and he seemed to indicate that he planned to get back to coaching as soon as possible, saying: "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 is among the greatest coaches of all time, as his 1,388 career wins are the most in history.
He is also a five-time NBA champion and three-time NBA Coach of the Year, and he took the Spurs to the playoffs in 22 straight seasons from 1997-98 through 2018-19.
While the Spurs have now gone five straight seasons without a playoff appearance, they appear to be on the ascent with a 19-22 record after going 22-60 in each of the previous two seasons.
Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson has done a nice job in Popovich's absence, posting a 17-19 mark.
Entering play Wednesday, the Spurs were just 1.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, which is the final spot in the postseason play-in tournament.
Per Vardon, Johnson divulged that he has been in contact with Popovich throughout his absence, and Spurs guard Chris Paul said Popovich calls players after every game, so his fingerprints remain on the team even while he is away recovering.
It is an exciting time for Spurs fans due to the presence of rapidly rising star Victor Wembanyama, and the eventual return of Popovich would perhaps provide even more juice to a team that is clearly on the ascent.
