Gregg Popovich announcing his new role in style leaves fans stunned – “You’d think having a stroke would humble you”

Gregg Popovich has left his job as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs after returning from two health scares this past year.

Gregg Popovich announcing his new role in style leaves fans stunned – “You’d think having a stroke would humble you”

Gregg Popovich announces himself as El Jefe, the Boss (Image via FirstSportz)

The San Antonio Spurs have a lot to thank Gregg Popovich for steering their franchise to become one of the best teams in the NBA. He led them to five championships and instilled a winning culture that still has basketball fans believing they will spark a run again.

Popovich had overseen two transitions for the Spurs. The first was when he oversaw the transition from the David Robinson era to the Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker timeline. The second was when he elevated Kawhi Leonard to become an NBA Finals MVP despite having Hall of Famers on his team.

Now, the 76-year-old was looking to do the same with French phenom Victor Wembanyama. However, his plans fell flat after he suffered a stroke a few days into the 2024-25 season. He was sidelined indefinitely as he recovered.

Then he fainted, further complicating his health, and many feared this season could be his last. That fear turned out to be true after Pop announced he was leaving his head coaching role. Earlier today, the Hall of Fame coach came out to officially introduce the new head coach and finished his speech by unzipping his jacket to reveal a t-shirt.

I’m no longer coach, I’m El Jefe.

Gregg Popovich said

His shirt had ‘El Jefe’ emblazoned on the front and ‘Senor Popovich, President of basketball ops’ on the back. El Jefe translates to The Boss, which perfectly explains how his role will be with the San Antonio Spurs. But what caught fans off-guard was his cockiness in announcing his role, despite his visible struggles with health issues.

Fans in awe as Gregg Popovich shows off his swagger

Basketball fans watching the way Gregg Popovich unveiled his new role, as well as his nickname, were left stunned. They believe the 76-year-old is not letting go of his swag even if he required the help of Ginobili and franchise legend Tim Duncan to rise up from his seat.

His health is a concern, and usually, many people retire from their day job and prefer to rest at home. But his desire to continue, even if he was struggling to speak with his usual energy, stunned those fans. They were talking about this resilience on social media. Examples of those comments are listed below.

Gregg Popovich’s new role is an extension of what he did while he was still the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. However, he will not face the daily stresses of coaching a team full of young players. He will be absolved of that, which should help him conserve his energy while also helping him recover completely.

Manu Ginobili believes he can help El Jefe

Manu Ginobili elevated himself from being a second-round pick to earn a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He did that while coming off the bench and being one of the grittiest players who always rose above the occasion.

Gregg Popovich will now oversee San Antonio Spurs' basketball operations
Gregg Popovich will now oversee San Antonio Spurs’ basketball operations (Image via Open Source/X)

Now, his head coach is struggling to put two things together as he is dealing with health problems of his own. The Argentinian was at hand to help Gregg Popovich get up on his feet and also to help remove the jacket that revealed the ‘El Jefe’ name. Now, Ginobili means he could end up assisting his former coach.

That means I’m now Special Advisor of El Jefe?

Manu Ginobili wrote

It was a light-hearted joke towards his former head coach. But who knows, maybe the 76-year-old could bring his former disciple under his command and teach him about running a team from the top office. It is unsure if Ginobili wants to take that up as a career, but he could end up continuing the culture Pop built after he wants to retire.

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