It does also help that Popovich, who is one of three active coaches, along with Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, with multiple titles, has had the pleasure of coaching some great and clutch players along the way. All-Star forward Tim Duncan, who was originally selected out of Wake Forest by the Spurs with the first overall pick in the 1997 draft, has been with Popovich for all four titles. Center David Robinson was a member of San Antonio’s first two championship teams (1999, 2003), while Sean Elliot was a key contributor in 1999 and 25-year-old point guard Tony Parker, who was the 2007 NBA Finals MVP, just keeps getting better.
Robert Horry earned his seventh ring when the Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in this year’s finals. The 36-year-old Horry has won a pair of titles with the Spurs, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and two with the Houston Rockets. While Horry is not an All-Star player, he is infamous for making big shots in the playoffs and will be remembered as one of the most clutch players to ever play the game when he hangs up his sneakers.
Manu Ginobili was the spark off the bench in this year’s playoffs, while defensive stopper Bruce Bowen played physical, tenacious defense against the opposition’s top scorer. Bowen, Ginobili and Parker have all shared in the glory of San Antonio’s last three titles.
Yes, Popovich, who is also the executive vice president of basketball operations, is the leader for one of the most intelligent organizations in the league. San Antonio knows how to piece together a team, by mixing veterans with younger players to come up with a winning formula.
The scary thing is, Duncan, who is a three-time NBA Finals MVP and two-time league MVP, is just 31-years-old and has shown no signs of slowing down, while Parker has developed into one of the league’s top lead guards and is only starting to play his best basketball. With Duncan and Parker leading the way, the sky is the limit for the San Antonio franchise, Popovich and his talented All-Stars.
"I think that is probably more than anything attributed to two things, one, our ownership under Peter Holt allows us to do our jobs," said Popovich after the Spurs finished the sweep against Cleveland. "I think I mentioned in some interview along the way here, we’ve been together, I don’t know, a decade or something like that now, and he’s never said no to me about anything. Not one time have I gotten a no. He just trusts us to do our jobs and do what we do.
"And secondly, I think that longevity is attributed to Timmy (Duncan) and the other guys we’ve tried to bring in who have a certain character, a character that’s made up of just people who have gotten over themselves, people who care about the team more than an individual, and I think it shows in a lot of different ways, and it makes it easy to coach that group. It makes it easy for that group to get along because there are a lot of bus rides and plane rides, if they get along and are happy about each other’s success. A good example would be Manu (Ginobili), an All-Star, coming off the bench, he actually does that. I’m still amazed, he does that. When I was in college I thought the coach was screwing me because he didn’t start me and I didn’t make the varsity until I was a junior. This guy is an All-Star. I asked, ’Can you please sit on the bench.’ And he did it. When you have those kind of guys, it’s something special."
Popovich, whose resume obviously speaks for itself, has paid his dues and has learned from some of the masterminds of coaching. After spending eight years as the head coach at Pomona-Pitzer, an NCAA Division III school, he joined San Antonio and Hall-of-Fame head coach Larry Brown’s staff as an assistant coach in 1988. Prior to the 1992-93 campaign, Popovich became an assistant under Don Nelson with the Golden State Warriors.
He spent two seasons with the Warriors, before going back to San Antonio on May 31, 1994 as the Spurs executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager. He was named San Antonio’s head coach in December 1996, and worked as general manager for eight seasons before giving the job to R.C. Buford on July 1, 2002.
San Antonio’s four crowns have been won by playing solid basketball on both ends of the court. The Spurs defeated New York in five games in 1999, New Jersey in six in 2003, Detroit in seven in 2005 and Cleveland in four. Duncan, Robinson and Popovich knocked out Latrell Sprewell and the Knicks for their first title, defeated Jason Kidd and the Nets for No. 2, conquered Chauncey Billups and the Pistons for the third and LeBron James and the up-and-coming Cavaliers.
Popovich has done it in the front office and on the court. The mastermind of San Antonio’s unbelievable run has managed to figure out how to keep his club winning consistently over a long period of time. He will forever be linked to one of the greatest players to ever play the game in Duncan. Together, they have already achieved much and there is still plenty left for them to do.
Is Popovich one the greatest head coaches ever?
Yes, and his already impressive resume still has a room on it.
San Antonio Spurs 
