Coach Pop’s Legacy Is on Full Display in NBA Playoffs

A rundown of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's ties to every head coach left in the postseason.

One of the more fascinating things about this second round—one we were almost fortunate enough to get four 2–2 matchups out of—is the fact that legendary Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has some sort of tie to every head coach left in the dance.

Some are more obvious and talked about constantly. But a few are more subtle, or ones you’d only know about if you’ve read certain backstories throughout Popovich’s time in the league. So let’s run through them.

Mike Budenholzer

Bud was a video coordinator in San Antonio before Popovich arriving as the Spurs’ coach, but then became an assistant coach upon Popovich taking over in 1996. Budenholzer won four championships there as an assistant before getting his opportunity to run the show with the Hawks, where he surprisingly lifted Atlanta to a 60-win season in his second year. Embattled at one point last season, Budenholzer—a two-time Coach of the Year—led the Bucks to their first title in 50 years.

Taylor Jenkins

Still just 37, Jenkins began his career by interning for Popovich and the Spurs before then coaching for their D-League affiliate. He later left with Budenholzer to work as an assistant in Atlanta in 2013, then latched on with Budenholzer in Milwaukee, too, before taking the job with the Grizzlies almost three years ago. He finished second in Coach of the Year voting this season, which was released Monday.

Steve Kerr

The NBA’s most successful coach of the past decade, Kerr gleaned knowledge from Popovich as a player in San Antonio from 1998 to 2003. Though he played under Phil Jackson for years in Chicago, Kerr also counts Popovich as a formative basketball mentor, having used aspects of the Spurs’ offense—and aspects of the triangle—to build the beautiful, chaotic attack the Warriors’ use. They also enjoyed fine wines together over the years, one of Popovich’s favorite pastimes.

Kerr now leads USA Basketball, a heralded gig he takes over from none other than Popovich. And as he takes on the international role, it’s somewhat fitting that Kerr is just as outspoken on a number of worldly issues as Popovich is.

Jason Kidd

Though he never coached or played under Popovich, that doesn’t stop Kidd from bringing up the fact that he kicks himself about that reality to this day.

Back in 2003, during free agency, Kidd went as far as to commit to Popovich and the Spurs, saying he’d join forces with Tim Duncan. But during his flight back to New Jersey, he developed second thoughts—thoughts that ultimately led to him still wondering how many titles he could have won if he’d joined San Antonio that year. The day after Duncan retired, Kidd told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk that he’s had nightmares about the choice he made to stay put in New Jersey. “I thought I was going to be a Spur,” Kidd said.

He got the one title eventually in 2011 with Dallas. But he and the Nets lost in the Finals in 2003 to none other than Popovich, Duncan and the Spurs.

Doc Rivers

Rivers also never played or coached under Popovich. But he came extremely close to replacing Pop.

Back in 1999, before he’d won five rings or become the winningest coach in NBA history, Popovich was leading a struggling San Antonio team, one management wasn’t sure Popovich should lead anymore. Sensing this, Popovich called Avery Johnson and David Robinson over to his home one night. He told the duo that he firmly sensed he’d be fired—and replaced by former Spur Doc Rivers—if the club lost its game the following night to the Houston Rockets.

Johnson relayed that message to his teammates the following day on the team bus. The Spurs—just 6–8 at the time—not only beat Houston that night, they went 30–5 the rest of the regular season and pieced together a dominant postseason run, going 16–2—including sweeps over the vaunted Shaq-and-Kobe Lakers and Blazers—en route to the organization’s first title.

Rivers has said there was initial strain over the rumors about him possibly replacing Popovich. But the two have become good friends and colleagues over the years. And Rivers has since won a championship of his own, in 2008 with Boston, as a coach. Interestingly enough, in joining Philly, Rivers also replaced a former Popovich disciple, in Brett Brown.

Erik Spoelstra

The Miami coach’s connection to Popovich obviously comes through being a high-profile opponent of his during the NBA Finals in 2013 and ’14. The Spurs and Heat played one of the best, most competitive Finals series in league history in ’13, culminating with the championship-saving shot by Ray Allen in Game 6 and a fantastic Game 7, which the Heat fully earned. And then Popovich and the Spurs, showing incredible resolve, rebounded to win it all the following year, literally dismantling Miami’s Big Three with a passing display for the ages.

Ime Udoka

The first-year Celtics coach, who brought Boston back from the brink earlier in the season to have them land the No. 1 seed in the East, played and coached under Popovich for a combined 10 seasons between 2007 and ’19.

The knowledge base from that San Antonio experience runs deep. It played into why he wanted Boston to trade for Spurs guard Derrick White earlier in the season. And, hell, it even played into Monday night’s must-have win over Milwaukee, when Jayson Tatum successfully hammered a matchup against George Hill after Udoka made Tatum aware of scouting tendencies he could exploit. Those tendencies came from Udoka having played alongside Hill as a Spur.

Monty Williams

Williams, the player, suited up for the Spurs during Popovich’s first two years as the team’s coach. He rejoined the Spurs as a coaching intern in 2004–05, a season that ended with San Antonio winning the title.

Then, after the wrenching loss of Williams’s wife, Ingrid, to a 2016 car crash, Popovich showed Williams’s entire eulogy to his Spurs team. He was struck by the humanity of it. Later on that year, in a beautiful SI piece written by Chris Ballard, Popovich said he more or less created a job for Williams in the Spurs’ front office—executive vice president of operations—that’d make it so Williams didn’t have to travel or work nights as he tried to hold his family together after the accident. Popovich was among those who sought to console and counsel Williams after the death. He wanted to fly to visit Williams in the aftermath, and was hurt that Williams wouldn’t let him. “He just kept telling me, ‘Mon, you’ve got to let people help you.’”

Williams, who reached the Finals with the Suns last year, led Phoenix to the NBA’s best record this season. He won the Coach of the Year on Monday.

It’s still unclear whether Popovich will return for a 27th season as coach. He hasn’t given many indications to this point. But even if he doesn’t, it’s hard to imagine leaving a better, fuller coaching legacy than the one that’s been on display this postseason.

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