Would Victor Wembanyama Extend Gregg Popovich's Spurs Tenure?

The San Antonio Spurs could extend Gregg Popovich's career by drafting Victor Wembanyama this summer.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 30, 2023

Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

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San Antonio Spurs

There's a big elephant in San Antonio that doesn't get talked about very often.

Gregg Popovich, the San Antonio Spurs coach since 1997, is oldest coach in the league at the ripe, tender age of 74, but continues to stick around. Popovich has never officially addressed his retirement, and every time he's asked about it, he usually divulges the subject towards his players or another topic.

Many thought Popovich would retire alongside Tim Duncan, who helped him build the Spurs dynasty for nearly two decades. However, Duncan retired seven years ago, and Popovich is still kicking it with the Spurs despite not contending this past season. The Spurs bottomed out in the standings, but acquired the best odds to draft Victor Wembanyama, a generational talent that could have Popovich coaching until he's 100.

"The opportunity to mold a talent like Wembanyama might certainly prolong Pop's career and his desire to continue coaching. It's worth wondering whether the eventuality of his retirement creates added impetus for the organization to return to playoff relevance sooner than later," ESPN writes.

Popovich's desire for coaching has really been highlighted over the past few seasons. During the end of the Spurs' dynasty, it appeared that Popovich was sticking around because he was that team's coach and his prolonged success never gave him a reason to be fired or to leave on his own accord. Now, with all of that stripped back, his joy for the profession stands out a little more. Throughout the season, he emphasized his enjoyment for simply developing the young pieces on the team.

There hasn't really ever been a player to come into the draft like Wembanyama, ever. So if the Spurs won the May 16 draft lottery, Popovich and the rest of San Antonio would rejoice, and that may keep the legendary coach around a few more years.

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Published Apr 30, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.