The San Antonio Spurs have become one of the most well-respected and accomplished teams in the NBA over the last several decades. Winning five NBA Championships from 1999 to 2014, plenty of NBA greats came through the Spurs organization from Tim Duncan to Kawhi Leonard.

Flash forward to today, a once-promising season around star Victor Wembanyama has collapsed after it was reported he’ll miss the remainder of the year. Along with Wembanyama, head coach Gregg Popovich will also miss the remainder of the season as he recovers from a stroke. One of the most respected coaches in the league, a former NBA veteran had some words to say about him.

“One of the big disappointments of my career is never having an interaction with Pop,” Williams shared on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back. “I’ve been a fan from a distance and just enjoyed the way that he’s been a leader in how he’s carried organizations and team after team. Every time you went to San Antonio, no matter the level of talent…you took them seriously, and that was because of Pop.”

Popovich became the Spurs head coach in 1996 and has 1,412 career wins with them across 29 seasons. Popovich’s 1,412 all-time wins rank him first in NBA history among coaches, while his five NBA championships rank him third.

With Popovich and Wembanyama out for the remainder of the season, the attention shifts to the 2025-26 season for the Spurs to get back into the playoffs.

Ever the Captain, Chris Paul Ushers In San Antonio Spurs’ New Reality