Even though he is no longer the head coach of the Spurs, Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich remains at the heart of the team and his guidance will go a long way in the NBA Finals.
Victor Wembanyama made sure Pop was the first person he spoke to after the team returned to San Antonio following their dramatic Game 7 win over OKC.
“I saw Pop right away when we arrived,” said Wembanyama, via ESPN. “The emotions were something I haven’t felt in a long time, I don’t even know since when. To come back from this is a challenge. We still have to come back to Earth and see that we didn’t do it too hard. [task] for now.”
Along with Popovich, the Spurs have a unique system where many influential people lead the team every day, including Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, David Robinson, Sean Elliott and Bruce Bowen.
“Good,” said Fox. “Not even just Pop, just the organization as a whole. There are a lot of people who walk in this building who have been there and done that. We could just practice, and Manu is there or Tim is there. We have these guys who have won many titles and been to the top of the mountain many times. You can ask them anything.
“It’s obvious that Pop will come in, he’ll speak his mind. He comes to the shootout, he practices, you’ll see him here and there. It could be something as small as boxing someone with a free throw or another extra pass that happened at this time of the game that could have changed the game.
“It’s good to have those kinds of people in your ear,” he continued. “They don’t say it because it made them successful. They want to see other people succeed. It’s a great thing to have, especially during a long year and a long Finals.”
If the team brings the Larry O’Brien trophy home to San Antonio, it’s clear that their approach will have worked.
READ MORE: Kendrick Perkins Sounds Closed to Chet Holmgren After Playoff Exit
