The San Antonio Spurs enjoyed great success in the NBA from the late-1990s to the mid-2010s.
Of course, they had some of the best players of that generation on the roster, but head coach Gregg Popovich deserves a lot of credit for ensuring that the Spurs worked like a well-oiled machine.
Since taking over as the head coach of the team in the 1996-97 NBA season, coach Popovich has led the franchise to five NBA titles.
As a result, it makes him one of the most respected head coaches in the NBA community.
However, there have been several rumors about Popovich contemplating retirement over the past few years.
Popovich remains the head coach of the team and former Spurs player Sean Elliott recently proposed a reason behind it, via SiriusXM NBA Radio on Twitter.
“I thought Pop probably would have retired had he not gotten Victor,” Elliott said.
“I have no doubt that his juices are flowing”
Spurs Champ, @SeanElliott_32, tells @TermineRadio & @JumpShot8 why he believes Gregg Popovich is still coaching in his 28th season #PorVida #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/1hnZ566TWY
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) March 2, 2024
Elliott played under Popovich’s leadership during the last five seasons of his NBA career.
It’s obvious that he got to know him better and keeping that in mind, Elliott believes the only reason Popovich is still coaching is due to the presence of Victor Wembanyama on the roster.
Wembanyama was selected as the number one overall pick by the Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Considering Wembanyama is touted as the next big thing in the NBA, it’s only obvious that Popovich allowed his basketball curiosity to get the better of him.
As of now, Popovich may have postponed his retirement, but he could change his stance on it once Wembanyama starts to reach his true potential.
NEXT: Victor Wembanyama Posted Unbelievable Stat Line In February