“Gregg Popovic liked Donald Trump over Richard Jefferson” Tim Duncan hilariously opened up about Coach Pop
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Richard Jefferson and Greg Popovich arguing with a referee
Gregg Popovich, the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, and Richard Jefferson had a love-hate relationship that was very real. Jefferson is hated and despised by Spurs supporters, so it would be kind but false to state that they have a difficult relationship with him. He may be the Spur under Tim Duncan and Popovich who received the most hatred. An athletic wing who would sprint down the floor in transition and finish when the Spurs acquired him in a trade a few days into the 2009 offseason for Bruce Bowen and Fabricio Oberto, Jefferson was thought to be the final piece they were missing to return to the top of the mountain.
After winning their first championship in 1999, the San Antonio Spurs won three more in five years, from 2003 to 2007, but were eliminated from the Finals for the first time in five years for two successive seasons by much superior teams in Boston and LA. After averaging about 20 points over the previous six seasons, Jefferson’s performance unexpectedly dropped when he switched from playing for iso-style teams to a Gregg Popovic team when he was traded to the Spurs in 2009. However, that connection did not develop in that way. As it turns out, Popovic detested Jeff at least as much as he despises Donald Trump, and Tim Duncan was there to witness it.
Richard Jefferson’s prolonged NBA career
In the past, Richard Jefferson represented the United States at Olympics and he featured in the NBA for eight different teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, and New Jersey Nets. As he played his final game with the Denver Nuggets in 2018, his professional basketball career came to an end. He has, however, continued to play a part in the game and serve as an analyst. Between 2015 and 2017, Jefferson played in 153 games for the Cavaliers, averaging 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 19.2 minutes. He made his NBA debut in 2001 with the New Jersey Nets. He played with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who captured the NBA championship in 2016.
Once he quit playing, Richard Jefferson found it hard to fully let go of his love for basketball. He therefore made his debut as a game commentator in 2018. When he made his debut, he concentrated extensively on the NBA games and later on, he worked as a commentator for outlets including ESPN, FS-1, and Pac-12. On segments like NBA Today, NBA Count, SportsCenter, and Hoops Stream, Jefferson frequently makes an appearance. He is highly known for his thorough understanding of the game and his unprejudiced viewpoints on it. Recently in a summer league game, he was introduced as an NBA official which will be Richard’s next stint in the league.
Tim Duncan was a guest on Richard Jefferson’s podcast “Road Trippin” a few years ago. When RJ asked him if Coach hated Donald Trump or himself more, the former teammates talked a lot, and Duncan, in a hilarious move, conceded that Pop liked former President Trump more because Richard left the team too soon. The 6’7″ forward had regress over his three seasons in San Antonio because he was never able to reach peak performance with the team. The first year Richard Jefferson played, getting to the rim wasn’t an issue for him, and he wasn’t too bad at rebounding and creating plays but he was not up to Pop’s standards.
Pop’s dislike of Richard Jefferson was understandable given that his whole basketball philosophy depended on that kind of play. We are aware that it’s more complicated than that; his tendency to talk excessively must also play a role. With all due respect, Jefferson did insult Tim Duncan and San Antonio, which probably won’t come as a surprise to many given that everyone is aware that RJ never really fit in with the Spurs.
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