By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
A major concern is currently being attended by the San Antonio Spurs franchise after head coach Gregg Popovich was sidelined indefinitely due to health issues.
The official statement from San Antonio was aired on November 5, 2024, and was later followed up by several members of the coaching staff in their respective interviews.
According to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania, there is a great level of concern regarding Popovich’s status after he needed medical attention last November 3, 2024.
Before San Antonio’s highly-anticipated matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Popovich experienced an undisclosed illness, the reason why he was absent manning the sidelines.
Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson then took over Popovich’s place, leading the rebuilding squad to an impressive 113-103 victory to protect their home floor.
In their next game against the Los Angeles Clippers on November 5, 2024, Popovich was still absent, and had to be ruled out indefinitely by the San Antonio management.
The Spurs were so close to bagging the win over the Clippers when they established a massive 26-point lead for a back-to-back winning streak in the young NBA regular season.
However, San Antonio melted down the stretch and allowed Los Angeles to turn the tides in the second half, resulting in a demoralizing loss.
Without Popovich, the team banked on the tandem of coach Johnson and Chris Paul, the squad’s extension tactician inside the floor.
“Mitch did a great job. Things happen within this league all the time, and just like with players it’s next man up. So shout out to Mitch,” said Paul.
As of now, the Spurs are yet to release a more specific update on Popovich, but they stand firm in their decision to let him go to rest and fully recover before returning to duty inside the hardwood.
