Gregg Popovich's Speech to Spurs Discussed by De'Aaron Fox, More Ahead of 2026 NBA Playoffs

The San Antonio Spurs reportedly received some extra motivation from legendary former coach Gregg Popovich ahead of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Popovich addressed the entire Spurs team on Wednesday, De'Aaron Fox told The Athletic's Jared Weiss.

"He's one of the winningest coaches ever, one of the coaches with the most rings ever," Fox said Friday, per Weiss. "So it's only right that he felt like he needed to come in and preach to the choir."

Stephon Castle told reporters Popovich told the team "just to be us, not to really do anything different from what we've been doing all season," per ESPN.

 "He gave us another perspective on how well we've been playing and the position we've put ourselves in," Castle said, per ESPN. "So just keep doing what we've been doing to get in those spots."

Weiss had previously shared a video of Popovich on the sidelines of Spurs practice on Friday.

Spurs CEO R.C. Buford told Weiss that Popovich is in the Spurs' practice facility gym between four to five times a week amid his rehabilitation from the stroke he suffered in November 2024.

Popovich took a leave of absence from the Spurs that fall, then stepped away from head coaching to instead take on a front office role.

Head coach Mitch Johnson, a former assistant of Popovich's, will now get the chance to lead the Spurs into the playoffs for the first time since Popovich took the team there in 2019.

The Spurs are set to tip off the first round against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET.