Legendary NBA coach Gregg Popovich was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts and held nothing back during his long speech.
He was as forthright as one could expect from the winningest coach in NBA history and a five-time championship winner with the Spurs.
For this raconteur of note, one of his favourite stories of the evening was recounting on how he coached a then-young Tony Parker.
He was quoted as saying, “I ‘just’ asked him to be perfect at age 19.
“If I coached him now the way I did then, I would be in handcuffs,” he joked.
You must know Popovich to understand his blunt humour. He ribbed his fellow presenters, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, David Robinson and especially Parker.
Parker won four NBA titles at the Spurs, and “Coach Pop” held nothing back in poking fun at Parker.
The president and HC at the San Antonio Spurs, Popovich has seen it all, and is the longest running head coach in the NBA (29 years).
He is also widely regarded as the greatest coach in NBA history.
The former Air Force player is now 74 – going on 54 and gave one of the longest speeches in Hall of Fame history.
Ironic, given his longevity in the game. Or more keeping in character than irony personified.
Parker, who played under the legendary coach for 17 years refers to him as, “A second dad.”
Oh, to be one of the audience members, or even one of his ex-players, and for Parker, a father figure that helped him become one of the all-time greats.
