Popovich says he won’t return this season as Spurs coach after stroke

Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich said Thursday he won’t return this season as coach of the San Antonio Spurs as he continues to recover from a stroke he suffered in November.

“I’ve decided not to return to the sidelines this season,” the 76-year-old coach said in a statement posted on the Spurs X account. “Mitch Johnson and his staff have done a wonderful job and the resolve and professionalism the players have shown, sticking together during a challenging season, has been outstanding.

“I will continue to focus on my health with the hope that I can return to coaching in the future.”

ESPN reported that the statement came after Popovich met with Spurs players — their first chance to see him since he suffered what the team has described as a “mild stroke” on November 2 at the team’s arena before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Assistant Mitch Johnson was named interim coach, with Popovich saying in December he was working toward a return to the bench.

Popovich, the oldest coach in NBA history, has 1,412 regular-season wins and another 170 post-season triumphs.

He has guided the Spurs to five NBA titles in his 29 seasons at the helm.

He guided the USA to basketball gold at the Tokyo Olympics and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of fame in 2023.

Popovich’s stroke is just one of the setbacks for the young Spurs team this season.

The team announced this month that second-year star Victor Wembanyama would miss the rest of the regular-season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder.