LeBron Honors Gregg Popovich's Historic Career After Stepping Down as Spurs HC
LeBron James and Gregg Popovich are two of the defining figures in NBA history, and one legend recognized another Thursday.
"What can you say? You talk about the superlatives when it comes to Coach Pop, his list is out of this world," James said of Popovich on his Mind the Game show with Steve Nash (2:35 mark).
"But I think what a lot of people have found out, if you ever got the opportunity to encounter a one-on-one with him or even just in crossing, how great of a guy that guy is. And it makes sense how unbelievable of a coach he was because of the person he was."
James' comments come after Popovich held a press conference Monday to discuss his decision to step down as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs and become the team's president of basketball operations.
He did so with a sense of humor and a T-shirt that said "El Jefe."
Popovich took a leave of absence for health reasons in November, and the Spurs confirmed in February he would not return during the 2024-25 campaign.
He leaves as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history as a five-time champion across 29 seasons who helped define more than one era of Spurs basketball. His 1,422 regular-season wins remain the most in NBA history, while his 170 playoff wins rank third behind only Phil Jackson and Pat Riley.
James is certainly familiar with Popovich's success when it comes to pursuing championships, as they faced each other in three different NBA Finals.
Popovich's Spurs swept James' Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007 during the fourth season of the King's career. However, James earned some revenge in 2013 when he helped lead the Miami Heat to a dramatic victory over the Spurs in a full seven-game series.
That remains one of the most famous NBA Finals in recent history in large part because Ray Allen's three-pointer in the closing seconds of Game 6 gave the Heat new life.
Yet Popovich's Spurs were ready for James and Co. the following year and defeated the Heat in five games in the 2014 NBA Finals.
James and Popovich will always be connected because of their history in the NBA Finals, experience together with USA Basketball and collective roles as two of the biggest figures in the sport's history.
And the Los Angeles Lakers star made sure he took the time to reflect on the coach's greatness following Popovich's move to a new role.
