Ranking Tim Duncan-Gregg Popovich Duo Among Best NBA Player-Coach Combos Ever

With their sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies, Tim Duncan, Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs advance to the 2013 NBA Finals aiming for a fifth title.

Pop and his trusty big man are climbing higher on the list of best player-coach tandems ever.

Fifteen years ago, the player and mentor raised the franchise's first banner, and so began an era of machine-like efficiency and truckloads of victories.

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Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich have 128 postseason wins together, the most by a player-coach duo in NBA history. @eliassports

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 28, 2013"

We all know that Timmy and Pop are one of the best duos of the last couple decades, but where exactly do they stand among the best player-coach pairs of all time?

10. Hakeem Olajuwon and Rudy Tomjanovich

Years Together: 10

Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Championships: 2 (1994-95)

Although their NBA Finals appearances and championships came during Michael Jordan's first retirement, Hakeem Olajuwon and Rudy Tomjanovich deserve credit for being one of the few player-coach duos in NBA history to win back-to-back crowns.

Olajuwon was one of the most unique players in NBA history, and Tomjanovich was a charismatic coach with Rockets roots dating back to the 1970s.

It made their championship runs special, as they navigated past star centers Patrick Ewing and Shaquille O'Neal to bring Houston its only NBA titles.

No one is going to confuse this pair with the elite all-time leaders, but there's no shame in being a part of an impressive second tier.

9. John Stockton and Jerry Sloan

Years Together: 15

Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Championships: 0

Utah Jazz legends Jerry Sloan and John Stockton are the only pair on this list without an NBA title.

We could easily place Karl Malone in here instead of Stockton, but Stockton was the team's quarterback and didn't play for any franchise other than the Jazz.

Sloan had a hard-nosed defensive approach, but he also directed efficient offensive units. Stockton was the perfect player to execute that two-way attack, as he is the NBA's all-time leader in assists and steals.

Utah's beloved coach and floor general reached the Western Conference finals five times, and the NBA Finals twice, but never hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy. 

8. Isiah Thomas and Chuck Daly

Years Together: 9

Finals Appearances: 3

NBA Championships: 2 (1989-90)

The architect of the "Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons teamed with a speedy point guard to build one of the best Eastern Conference clubs of the late 1980s.

Chuck Daly instilled a culture of physicality and defense, and he utilized the offensive skills and agility of Isiah Thomas to form a team capable of besting Chicago and Boston in the East and Los Angeles in the title round.

While Daly's NBA coaching legacy is best symbolized by forwards such as Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman, Thomas was the star that made championships attainable. The crafty 6'1" guard was always a threat to score 20-plus while dishing 10-plus assists, and this versatility flummoxed opponents.

Thomas was overshadowed by Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, and Daly's resume doesn't stack up with the elite coaches. But together, they're one of the best player-coach combos of all time.

7. Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson

Years Together: 5

Finals Appearances: 4

NBA Championships: 3 (2000-2002)

When Phil Jackson won his rings with the Chicago Bulls, he did so without a marquee center.

Having someone of Shaquille O'Neal's stature was something new for him, and it suited everyone quite well. Shaq helped Jackson prove he could win without Jordan, and Phil helped O'Neal finally win the big one.

Shaq's sheer power overwhelmed most opponents, and his explosiveness and paint presence brought Jackson the third three-peat of his storied coaching career.

Jackson's work with O'Neal consisted of much more than simply sending him out to battle. Phil helped him become a better passer and leader, and he also mediated the highly publicized rift between Shaq and Kobe Bryant.

6. George Mikan and John Kundla

Years Together: 8

Finals Appearances: 5

NBA Championships: 5 (1949-50, 1952-54)

Before Phil Jackson and Shaquille O'Neal...before Pat Riley and Magic Johnson...before the Lakers were even in Los Angeles, there was John Kundla and George Mikan.

In Minneapolis, Mikan created a legacy of dominance as the first great scoring big man in professional basketball. He knew how to use his size to his advantage, and his coach, Kundla, was praised for putting Mikan in the best possible position to be successful.

Former New York Knicks head coach Joe Lapchick once told reporters "Kundla has devised one of the finest series of plays (cuts and blocks) I've ever seen to make full use of George Mikan."

The bottom line was five championships together in five finals appearances.

*Lapchick quote from "The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Basketball" by Ron Smith.

5. Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson

Years Together: 11

Finals Appearances: 7

NBA Championships: 5 (2000-02, 2009-10)

In a relationship that evolved over the years, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson earned a ring for each finger and brought glory back to the Los Angeles Lakers franchise.

Their 2000-2002 three-peat was powered by the dominance of Shaquille O'Neal and enhanced by the playmaking skills of Kobe.

After Shaq's departure in 2004, it took a little while for Jackson and Bryant to make it back to basketball's biggest stage. In 2008, they reached the Finals for a fifth time together, but succumbed to the Boston Celtics.

Once the coach and superstar learned how to incorporate the talents of Pau Gasol, L.A. won back-to-back titles with Kobe as Finals MVP.

Kobe's legacy is often debated due to O'Neal's presence in the first three titles, but he and Jackson are still one of the absolute best pairs in NBA history.

4. Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich

Years Together: 16

Finals Appearances: 5

NBA Championships: 4 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)

With five trips to the NBA Finals and a chance for a clean 5-of-5 Finals mark, the Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich duo stands among the league's all-time greatest.

In an era when loyalty and longevity are scarce, the San Antonio Spurs leaders have been rock-solid and constantly focused on winning. In an age of frequent discord between players and coaches, Duncan and Popovich couldn't be more in tune with one another.

Their first Finals appearance and their current one are 15 years apart, which is a remarkable feat.

In between, Timmy and Pop have seen countless role players come and go, yet they always remain a force in the West.

Popovich preaches a culture of selflessness, and Duncan exudes it. Consequently, it has permeated the organization and produced a decade and a half of winning.

3. Magic Johnson and Pat Riley

Years Together: 9

Finals Appearances: 7

NBA Championships: 4 (1982, 1985, 1987-88)

Pat Riley was the brain between the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s, and he was lucky to have a brilliant playmaker like Magic Johnson to execute the attack.

From 1981-1990, this sensational combo reached seven NBA Finals and won four of them. They ruled the Western Conference with the help of James Worthy, Michael Cooper and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and they changed the way the game was played in the open floor.

Magic was Finals MVP for two of those championship runs (in addition to his 1980 MVP prior to Riley's promotion), as his fast-paced facilitating helped L.A. score 115-plus on a regular basis.

Riley's tight relationship with Magic and heavy dose of confidence allowed the Lakers to stay a step ahead of their opponents for nearly a decade.

2. Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson

Years Together: 8*

Finals Appearances: 6

NBA Championships: 6 (1991-3, 1996-8)

Michael Jordan revolutionized the game of basketball (and the sports world, for that matter), and his 6-0 Finals record and six Finals MVPs wouldn't be possible without Phil Jackson.

The Zen Master brought more than just the triangle offense and a winning strategy. He helped empower Jordan and the rest of the Bulls because he was a magnificent psychologist who knew the pulse of the team and served as a calming leader.

With M.J.'s dominance on both ends of the floor and Jackson's steady guidance, Chicago overcame the Bad Boy Pistons and Magic Johnson's Lakers to begin a three-peat. Then, in 1995-96, they posted a 72-10 record to launch a second three-peat.

It's not the most titles for a player-coach tandem, but six is remarkable considering the nature of NBA expansion and Jordan's mid-90s hiatus.

*Includes Jordan's midseason return in 1995

1. Bill Russell and Red Auerbach

Years Together: 10

Finals Appearances: 10

NBA Championships: 9 (1957, 1959-66)

Together, Red Auerbach and Bill Russell turned the Boston Celtics logo into a symbol of winning, as they teamed for nine NBA crowns in the 1950s and 60s.

Auerbach constructed squads that ran circles around opponents while also playing tough defense. Russell was the anchor of those clubs, an agile big man who protected the rim and started countless fast breaks.

Their winning ways didn't just leave a legacy in the Celtics organization. The NBA Coach of the Year award is known as the "Red Auerbach Trophy," and the NBA Finals' top performer gets the "Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award."

Each posted staggering numbers during their time in Boston. Auerbach reached the title round 10 times and lost just once, while Russell's 22.5 rebounds per game fueled his 11 titles in 13 years (nine of them with Red).

When it comes to player-coach combos, these two are still the gold standard.

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