New Details on Gregg Popovich's Recovery After Tragic Incident

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November

Oct 30, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich watches his team play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Since Nov. 2, 2024, the San Antonio Spurs have looked different.

Granted, quite a few things have changed: De'Aaron Fox is now an unopposed starter on a team that no longer features Zach Collins, Tre Jones, or Sidy Cissoko. Bismack Biyombo, a long-time veteran who Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson joked the team pulled "off his couch," is now its primary big man.

To add onto that, Fox and Victor Wembanyama are done for the season with various ailments and Gregg Popovich hasn't coached since the aforementioned date. The 76-year-old suffered a mild stroke back then and has since been away from the team prioritizing his health and recovery.

"No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process," Popovich said back in December via a team statement. "They’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable."

Here's the full statement, courtesy of the #Spurs: pic.twitter.com/qZXRCQX41a

— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) December 16, 2024

A few months later, on Feb. 27, Popovich announced that his season was over. A return to coaching wasn't out of the picture completely, but it simply wasn't feasible this season — especially with the Spurs' stakes severely lowered without Wembanyama.

ESPN's Michael C. Wright provided a little more insight on exactly what Popovich's recovery looked like from the time he first broke his silence to address the team in person for the first time.

Oct 30, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich watches his team play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

"In between those statements, his recovery progressed," Wright wrote. "After a few weeks in the hospital, Popovich was released, and a few months after that, he was able to start walking again."

Popovich ensured he was well enough to stand up before meeting with his team in an "all-black sweatsuit" to deliver the news. Safe to say, it was a mixed bag of emotions that day.

👇🏽 https://t.co/ILL5tY8Ae0

— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) March 18, 2025

"He was still cussing," Keldon Johnson said, per Wright. "'Y'all need to play defense. Y'all need to rebound.' Knowing that ... he really is watching the games because he's calling out specific situations, was huge. It was what we needed."

The Spurs still have 15 games remaining of their 2024-25 campaign. Prior to Wembanyama's injury, it looked as if they'd have a shot at the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. Even after he went down, Chris Paul made clear that the mission remained the same. Simply put, that hasn't worked.

The Spurs are now in sole possession of the No. 13 seed and will likely finish around there to close the year. Is it completely on them? Certainly not. The Spurs have endured more than their fair share of hardships, though, as they'll tell you, nobody is feeling sorry for them.

They aren't either. Especially not with Popovich still around — even from afar.

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