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Gregg Popovich - The Silent Winner

In 1996, the San Antonio Spurs held their worst record in franchise history with only 20 wins and 62 losses - looking more like a Vancouver Grizzlies tribute act than a hardened NBA franchise. In an effort to turn the tables, the Spurs hired the talents of Gregg Popovich who, within 3 seasons, would lead the Spurs to their maiden NBA Championship in 1999 and begin an unmissed playoff run that would last for over two decades. 

Popovich is part of an elite breed of coaches in today's NBA, in that he is able to evolve. Coaching across 3 different eras of basketball, the Spurs have remained both relevant and competitive since 1997, a fact that no other NBA team can come close to. Although the Spurs have had their fair share of Hall of Fame calibre talent, the one factor that has remained constant in their winning ability is Coach Popovich and his unique leading style that promotes team defence, quick ball movement, and league-leading team chemistry. 

When Popovich was hired during the 1996-1997 season, the Spurs ranked dead last in league defensive ranking (30th) - they ranked 2nd the following year and won their maiden championship the year after (1999). They have failed to fall outside the top 11 defensive teams since.  

The Spurs again proved to be a unique franchise throughout the early 2000s as instead of investing in homegrown American talent, they looked to Europe and found Hall of Famers Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. In a league that promoted fast-paced 7-second offences, the Spurs used superior ball movement and slower play to break teams down and resulted in the once desperate franchise becoming one of the most successful of the new millennia, winning NBA titles in 2003, 2005, and 2007. 

This same style broke 'The King' himself, and produced one of the most polarizing NBA Finals series in 2014 against the Miami Heat. Even with ageing superstars, Popovich's Spurs proved that pure and smart basketball will always beat brute force and strength, even if he is a 4 time MVP. 

Today, San Antonio sit 7th in a stacked western conference with a winning record of 22-17, without a single recognised All-Star to their name. They are also in the midst of losing their main centre in LaMarcus Aldridge to a trade deal, but still, Popovich keeps this winning machine on the playoff path, with nothing but DeMar Derozan and a whole heap of role players. 

Popovich's coaching formula is one that looks fairly simple on the surface but has proved to be impossible to replicate and even though the Spurs have failed to reach the Finals since 2014, they continue to silently make playoff appearances and maintain a winning record - something that is becoming increasingly harder to come by in 2021. 



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