Steve Kerr and Ime Udoka give props to mentor Gregg Popovich after stepping away from legendary coaching career

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich's disciples Steve Kerr and Ime Udoka coached their teams in the 1st round playoffs earlier.

Steve Kerr and Ime Udoka give props to mentor Gregg Popovich after stepping away from legendary coaching career

Steve Kerr and Ime Udoka gave Gregg Popovich his props (Image via Firstsportz)

The San Antonio Spurs owe their success to Gregg Popovich. The Hall of Fame head coach has led the small-market team to five NBA titles, which also happen to be the only titles in the nearly six-decade existence of the franchise.

Popovich has helped establish a culture where they bring in high-character players, develop them over time, and eventually successfully compete at the highest level. It was the same philosophy he followed when he built the team around French phenom Victor Wembanyama this past offseason.

A few games into the season he was hospitalized after suffering a mild stroke. He was sidelined indefinitely, but many hoped he would return after recovering. But he never did, and the Spurs endured problems to finish third-to-last in the West.

Now, he will not return to lead this roster after Shams Charania revealed that ‘Pop’ has decided to call it quits on his coaching career. After learning of this development, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr turned up to the pre-game press conference wearing a ‘Thanks, Pop!’ t-shirt and said:

Pop’s gonna kill me for wearing this shirt. He’s gonna call me a hapless rube. I just want to say thank you to Pop and to the Spurs organization for everything they meant to me. The number of people Pop has influenced, the number of coaches, is just incredible. Pop is one of the most important people in my life.

Steve Kerr said

Kerr was grateful that Gregg Popovich gave him two chances to continue his basketball career. In both those stints, the now Warriors coach added two NBA titles. Along with that, he learnt a lot about coaching, which he has utilized to bring four titles to the Bay Area.

Another Gregg Popovich disciple reps him

Steve Kerr was not the only Gregg Popovich disciple coaching tonight. Ironically, Kerr was going up against one of Pop’s last assistants to net a head coaching job, Ime Udoka. Reporter Vanessa Richardson asked the Houston Rockets head coach how he was spending time with Pop both as a player and an assistant.

As a professional, played two and a half years for him, coached seven, so I’ve spent 10 years of my life. It’s a bittersweet day, obviously, for all of us, but happy he’s in a good place and happy he’s good with his family. So, yeah, just a special day, special person.

Ime Udoka said

Similarly to the Warriors coach, Udoka played for the Spurs. He then became an assistant and is now touted as one of the better coaches in the league. Gregg Popovich’s pupils have become head coaches and two of them have NBA titles, Kerr and Doc Rivers.

Several others have been influenced by the 76-year-old in some capacity. As per Yahoo Sports, nearly all the head coaches currently in the league have had either a direct or an indirect link to ‘Pop.’ It goes to show how much of an impact he has had in the league over the nearly three decades he has been a head coach.

Seven-time champion recalls ‘Pop’s human side

Many players have had the luxury of playing for Gregg Popovich. Even those who have played against his teams have the highest regard for him. But those who were coached by him have tales to reveal how he has impacted their lives. Seven-time Champion Robert Horry once said this on the All the Smoke Podcast.

Gregg Popovich has impacted almost the entire league
Gregg Popovich has impacted almost the entire league (Image via Barstool Sports/X)

I remember when my daughter was sick, in my last year in San Antonio. She went in the hospital. Pop was like, ‘Don’t come back until she’s out of the hospital.’

Robert Horry said

Horry then revealed that when he was back at practice, Popovich sent him back home. At first, the forward thought that his head coach was trying to sideline him. But the former Air Force veteran clarified that family was always first. These are some of the non-basketball reasons players and coaches respect him.

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