Inside The Spurs

'It Does Not Matter': San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Speaks on International Talent

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has seen his fair share of foreign talent, but whether his players come from outside the United States or within it, he holds the same standards of winning basketball.

Matt Guzman

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San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich doesn't care. 

Whether he's referring to his best players, his worst players or even the players he's yet to coach, he won't refrain from being himself. It's the reason he's earned the reputation he has across the NBA world. 

Why Jeremy Sochan had to be warned of "the monster."

"It was fun for me," Sochan said of learning to play under the veteran coach. "I remember before the season, everyone was like: 'Watch out, this monster is going to eat you,' and this and that, but it was great. He's a legend." 

Sochan has, however, one quality about him that sets him apart from much of the league — he's European. Polish. But again, Popovich doesn't care. And when he was asked about the difference in coaching European players, he made that clear. 

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich walks on the court at Frost Bank Center during a game.
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich walks on the court at Frost Bank Center during a game / Daniel Dunn, USA TODAY

“[There's] no difference whatsoever," Popovich said. "It’s basketball, no matter how you slice it. The same fundamentals, win, lose. Whether you have the fundamentals or you don’t. Talent is important. Skills are important. Heart is important. You mentioned Manu (Ginobili): he had skills, he had heart, tenacity, all of those things are the same.

"Whether you are from Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, or Massachusetts in the United States, it does not matter.”

The same that can be said about Sochan can be said about Victor Wembanyama. And before him, Ginobili, Tony Parker and Boris Diaw. Popovich has seen his fair share of foreign talent, but while he may not be finding as much success early on in his time with Wembanyama, he's got plenty of time to make it work.

The Spurs aren't worried for their own sake, even in the midst of a long losing streak, and Popovich isn't either. He sees his players' wanting to improve and is embracing it. He's embracing his team — international or not.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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