On Tuesday night, Spurs head coach—Greg Popovich—added another accolade in his much decorated coaching career with the Spurs 95-93 road victory over the Indiana Pacers that officially handed him his 1000th victory as a coach.
However, this was not an easy win to get as it ultimately required the heroics of Marco Belinelli, who nailed the game-winning jumper with exactly 2.1 seconds remaining…
This win puts the deserving Popovich in the record books—as being the third-fastest coach in NBA history to reach this remarkable milestone by getting there in 1,462 games, trailing only behind Pat Riley (1,434) and Phil Jackson (1,423). Incredible company for Pop on that one.
There’s no doubt Popovich will go down as one of the greatest to ever coach in the league and certainly the greatest Coach in the Spurs’ franchise history. His five championships with the Spurs are already more than enough of an achievement for any coach—and the Spurs will forever be grateful to him for this. However most will most likely remember the consistency of the winning seasons, with 50+ wins year in and year out. The ability of Popovich to identify untapped talent around the league, sign them, and immediately allow players to have an impact. His ability to have players check their egos at the door and play team basketball is unprecedented.
This season the Spurs haven’t been looking at all like the defending champions we saw last season, which may be due to the unexpected injuries. But one thing is for sure; Popovich can not be underestimated, as the Spurs at a moment’s notice can regain their championship form, and should be considered as always a championship contender come spring.
Congrats Pop! 1000 wins, wow.
Benjamin Felix Santos is currently a senior college student from Manila, PH. An aspiring NBA writer, who bleeds the purple and gold. His love and passion for the game will never die.
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