Gregg Popovich Jokes About Spurs' Losing Streak: 'It's a Hoax...Just Not True'

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters that his team's eight-game losing streak is a hoax:

The remark was likely a reference to President Donald Trump repeatedly calling the recent impeachment inquiry of him a "hoax," which he most recently did Friday.

The line also piggybacked off tongue-in-cheek remarks Popovich made following the Spurs' 115-104 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, in which the head coach utilized verbiage that Trump has used in the past, including "fake news":

Trump and Popovich have a history: The head coach has been an outspoken critic of the president and his policies, and Trump called out Popovich for his response to the Hong Kong protest controversy between the NBA and China in October.

The Spurs' losing streak is the longest in Popovich's head-coaching tenure, which dates back to the 1996-97 season. The 5-11 Spurs will also be hard-pressed to make the playoffs, where they have played every year since 1998.

The season is only 16 games old, though, and a date with the 4-11 New York Knicks on the road awaits Saturday.

That's a good opportunity to break the cold stretch, but the ledger gets considerably harder afterward, with the 13-2 Los Angeles Lakers, 8-7 Minnesota Timberwolves and 11-5 Los Angeles Clippers up next.