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Gregg Popovich stepped away from coaching on Friday, ending a legendary career with the San Antonio Spurs. As one of his brightest students, Becky Hammon made sure to show him love.
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the NBA’s most successful franchises. They are on a similar level of success as big-market teams like the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls. The Spurs owe their success to Gregg Popovich, their legendary coach. Coach Pop gradually became the reason people wanted to play for the Spurs.
After 29 years in the job, Popovich decided to step down from his role after the 2024-25 season. Due to his health issues, Pop struggled to keep up with the rigorous NBA schedule. However, he will still be with the Spurs as the Team President. His decision led to many tributes across the basketball world, including a member of his coaching tree, Becky Hammon.
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Hammon feels she owes her coaching career to Popovich
Hammon was a successful WNBA player from 1999 to 2014. She went from being an undrafted player to one of the league’s greatest-ever point guards. Her role as a floor general made her a natural coach when she retired. Popovich quickly scooped her up and made her one of his lead assistant coaches.
Most people thought she was the next Spurs coach, but she left the organization to join the Las Vegas Aces. She played for the same organization, but they relocated to Sin City. Hammon has met expectations as the Aces’ coach, as she already has two championships in three seasons.
The 49-year-old knows Popovich played a significant role in her career. She feels Pop is a big reason behind her success as a professional. Some people even wanted her to replace Pop, but the Spurs hired Mitch Johnson as the full-time coach. That is a popular choice within the organization, including Victor Wembanyama.
“He’s a huge reason why I have this job. I know that was probably a heavy decision for him,” Hammon said ahead of a game against the Dallas Wings.
“He was literally one of the greatest to do it. Arguably the greatest to do it. There are different kinds of leaders. I think that was so amazing about Pop was just how he led.”
Popovich’s coaching tree shows his influence on the game
Throughout his 29 years as the Spurs’ head coach, Popovich worked with many brilliant tacticians. Hammon is one of the most prominent ones. That coaching tree has many top-tier minds, including Ime Udoka, Steve Kerr, and Mike Budenholzer.
Now that he is on his way out, the NBA world is looking back at his impact. He led the Spurs to five championships with Tim Duncan as his centerpiece, like today’s team with Wemby. At the same time, he also developed players into becoming All-Stars. This includes Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.
Many fans will miss him roaming the sidelines. He has left his head coach role but will stick around as team president. Players like De’Aaron Fox will love meeting him, like on his first time. Even Hammon predicts he will be present in the training facility.
“I know he’ll still be running around that facility and be heavily involved with the everyday decisions. He will always be the most competitive person in the building, whatever building he’s in,” Hammon continued.
