By the numbers: Popovich ends record 29-year run as Spurs coach
Gregg Popovich will go down as one of the greatest head coaches in NBA history.
The longtime San Antonio Spurs bench boss surrendered his post on the sidelines Friday and will become the organization's full-time president. Popovich suffered a stroke in November and missed the rest of the 2024-25 season to recover.
After nearly three decades as the Spurs' head coach, he racked up plenty of mind-boggling statistics.
1 - Popovich also spent time as the head coach of U.S. men's basketball. He guided the USA to a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics.
3 - He's one of three coaches to be named NBA Coach of the Year three times in their careers. Don Nelson and Pat Riley are tied with him for winning the honor the most.
5 - San Antonio won five NBA championships, all with Popovich in charge: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.
14 - The Spurs had a great run atop the league with Popovich coaching a roster that included Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. The four of them reached the playoffs together in 14 straight seasons.
18 - The Spurs posted 18 straight 50-win seasons from 1999-2000 to 2016-17. No other team has achieved this feat; the Los Angeles Lakers have come closest with 12 consecutive 50-win seasons.
21 - Popovich holds 170 career playoff coaching wins, good for third all time and ahead of 21 entire NBA franchises.
22 - The Spurs reached the postseason for 22 consecutive seasons under Popovich from 1997-98 to 2018-2019 - the NBA's longest run ever.
29 - Coach Pop's 29 seasons as Spurs bench boss represent the longest head coaching tenure with a single team in NBA history. He's six seasons ahead of second place, which is Jerry Sloan's long stay with the Utah Jazz.
1,422 - Popovich is the all-time winningest coach in NBA history with 1,422 regular-season wins. He's held this distinction since he passed Nelson during the 2021-22 campaign.
2023 - Popovich was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.