San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has repeatedly said he’ll follow franchise legend Tim Duncan off the floor. However, now that San Antonio has received a commitment from free agent LaMarcus Aldridge, Popovich might trail a different star off the court.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Pop is intent on coaching the Spurs through the remainder of his contract—for now.
ESPN sources say that Gregg Popovich, as of now, is intent on coaching out his entire five-year contract that he signed last summer
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 4, 2015
San Antonio will sign Aldridge to a four-year, $80 million contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The power forward has a player option for the fourth season.
Popovich has compiled a 1,022-470 record since taking over the Spurs early in the 1996-97 campaign. He’s earned five championship rings and three Coach of the Year honors, though Pop has arguably deserved a handful more of that latter award.
With exactly 200 more victories, Popovich will end his career with the third-most wins in NBA coaching history. Currently ninth, he’d pass Rick Adelman, Larry Brown, George Karl, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley and Jerry Sloan on the road to 1,222.
The Spurs have recorded at least 50 wins in 16 consecutive seasons.
Photo: USA Today Sports