Popovich passes Riley for 4th on all-time wins list
It didn't take long for Gregg Popovich to break his tie with the NBA's "Godfather."
The San Antonio Spurs head coach led his team to a 111-86 win over the lowly Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, earning his 1,211th regular-season win. The victory grants him sole possession of fourth place on the all-time wins list, moving Popovich past Hall of Famer Pat Riley.
With win 1,211 tonight, @spurs Coach Gregg Popovich has moved up to 4th on the @NBA all-time wins list. #NBAVault pic.twitter.com/p1n5LVzWGw
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) December 12, 2018
NBA all-time wins list (head coach)
| Rank | Head Coach | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don Nelson | 1335 |
| 2 | Lenny Wilkins | 1332 |
| 3 | Jerry Sloan | 1221 |
| 4 | Gregg Popovich | 1211 |
| 5 | Pat Riley | 1210 |
| 6 | George Karl | 1175 |
| 7 | Phil Jackson | 1155 |
(courtesy: Basketball Reference)
Popovich tied Riley on Sunday when his Spurs defeated the Utah Jazz, 110-97.
The five-time champion and three-time NBA Coach of the Year Award winner began Tuesday night with a career .686 winning percentage, which is the fifth highest in league history for coaches with at least 200 games under their belt.
Popovich's 167 career playoff victories also rank third all-time behind Phil Jackson (229) and Riley (171).