Gregg Popovich in midseason form
OAKLAND – How do we know that the NBA season is officially underway?
Because Gregg Popovich is winning press conferences again.
The San Antonio Spurs coach whose acerbic, amusing and altruistic personality has been a staple of the league for nearly three decades weighed in on a number of topics before his team’s opener against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena, none more meaningful than the honor bestowed to his friend and ailing TNT analyst Craig Sager on this night.
With Sager 18 months into his ongoing fight against Leukemia, the Warriors honored him with a pair of t-shirts: the first for fans on hand and featuring the nattily attired commentator in cartoon form; the second shirt inspired by a suit he wore while receiving the Jimmy Valvano award at the ESPYs. The Warriors are also raising money for Leukemia research with Nate Thurmond in their hearts. The Golden State great died in July at the age of 74 after battling Leukemia.
Popovich, whose in-game interviews with Sager throughout the years have long since become the stuff of NBA legend, offered encouragement to his close friend before the tip.
“He’s somebody who has endured more than I could even imagine,” Popovich said. “All the treatment he has gone through, and it seems to go up and down and up and down. He’s high, and then he’s dejected because of what’s going on with his health.
“He’s been through it all, and he still smiles, he still jokes, still has a great sense of humor. You can still talk to him about anything. He’s just an iconic, and weird and wonderful guy all at the same time. And I (say) that lovingly.”
On the basketball front, Popovich gave his assessment of the Warriors squad that added Kevin Durant via free agency during the offseason and thus became the only team to boast multiple former MVPs (Stephen Curry won the last two, and Durant won in 2013-14 while with the Oklahoma City Thunder). With Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala, they have five former All-Stars.
Popovich, whose Spurs are widely seen as the greatest threat to the Warriors in the Western Conference after adding Pau Gasol in July and despite losing all-timer Tim Duncan to retirement, said he sees the Warriors steamrolling through the season.
“These are high character guys, so I don’t think (adjusting to each other is) going to be a problem at all,” he said. “People say, ‘Well, who’s going to get the shots?’ And ‘there’s only one basketball,’ but they want to win. They want to get back to the championship, and win, and they’ll do whatever it takes.
“Winning generates good attitudes and acceptable people – people who will accept what coaches want, so there won’t be growing pains in that regard at all. Kevin will have to learn some of the plays, and what the style of play is, and that sort of thing. (Warriors coach) Steve (Kerr) probably does a few things defensively different, and he’ll catch on quickly. And then they’ll roll.”
It wouldn’t be a Popovich presser without a punchline, though, and he provided just that when asked about his relationship with Kerr. The third-year Warriors coach won two of his five championships as a player with Popovich’s Spurs.
“I hate Steve Kerr,” Popovich deadpanned. “If he asked me anything, I’d tell him to go urinate in a bucket. … And you can quote me on that.”