Gregg Popovich Gives LaMarcus Aldridge His 1st 'Welcome to the Spurs' Moment

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has always made sure to play things safe and take precautionary measures to keep his players as healthy as possible, even if it means sitting them during practices or games.

That strategy may take some getting used to for some players. New Spur LaMarcus Aldridge, for one, certainly has to adjust to Popovich's coaching style.

Aldridge, who signed a four-year, $84 million contract with San Antonio this past summer, was held out of Tuesday's practice for precautionary reasons as he deals with leg tightness. The veteran forward may be used to playing through minor injuries, and he may have felt like he could still practice. However, Popovich told his player he had to sit out in classic Pop fashion.

“We sat him out,” the coach said, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “He didn’t want to do it. I said, ‘Welcome to the Spurs. Go sit.’"

There's no doubt that the five-time champion coach is the one who makes the calls in San Antonio.

In this instance, it isn't a bad idea to sit Aldridge. The preseason starts Thursday for the team, and with an 82-game regular season ahead (plus potential postseason contests), Popovich needs to make sure his players are as close to 100 percent as possible when the real games start.

[USA Today's FTW]