Gregg Popovich Spoke to Spurs Ahead of Game 3 vs. Knicks, Former HC's Message Revealed

Former San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich spoke to players before they flew to New York for Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, guard Stephon Castle told reporters Sunday.

"Pretty much his message was, let the last two games go," Castle said (h/t SNY Knicks). "It happened. They were very winnable games, and we thought we gave them those games.

"But we've got to let those go, and focus on the next one. The next game is the most important game of the series, so trying to come into that and win it."

The Spurs are looking to chip away at an 0-2 series deficit when Game 3 tips off Monday at 8:30 p.m ET in Madison Square Garden.

Popovich has been around the Spurs throughout the team's run to the NBA Finals. That included him addressing Spurs players before their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers, per The Athletic's Jared Weiss.

The former Spurs coach was later spotted speaking with Victor Wembanyama at the San Antonio airport after the Spurs lost Game 4 of the second round to fall to 2-2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Spurs went on to close out the series against the Timberwolves with two straight games before defeating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games.

Wembanyama was visibly emotional when asked about what he felt the Spurs' run meant to his former coach.

Popovich stepped away from coaching the Spurs after suffering a stroke in November 2024. He set an NBA record with 1,422 regular-season wins to go alongside five championships in 29 seasons as head coach of the Spurs.

He has since transitioned to become the team's president of basketball operation. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson has referred to Popovich as a "resource" to the coaching staff in that role.

The Spurs will now hope Popovich's guidance can help the franchise make league history by becoming the first team to recover from losing the first two games of the NBA Finals at home.