Gregg Popovich Won't Coach vs. Wizards After Stroke

The Washington Wizards face the San Antonio Spurs tonight, but Gregg Popovich won't be in attendance.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 13, 2024

Oct 31, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reacts to a play against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are facing off against the San Antonio Spurs tonight, but there will be a familiar face missing from the sideline.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been away from the team since Nov. 2 with a "health issue", but now according to ESPN insider Shams Charania, we now know what the mysterious illness is.

"San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2," Charania tweeted. "He is expected to make a full recovery and a timeline for return has not been determined."

Popovich, 75, is the oldest coach in the NBA and has been with the Spurs since the 1996-97 season. He has arguably been the face of the franchise throughout their entire dynasty, winning championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.

With Popovich out, assistant coach Mitch Johnson has stepped up to lead the staff and has led the Spurs to a 3-3 record since his leave of absence began.

The Spurs will look to keep the winning ways going as the Wizards come to town tonight. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. The game can be watched locally on Monumental Sports Network or streamed on NBA League Pass.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Nov 13, 2024|Modified Nov 13, 2024

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.