The NBA has retroactively corrected Gregg Popovich’s coaching record. This amendment follows the league’s recent decision to erase the 77 games he missed last year, cementing him as the all-time wins leader for the San Antonio Spurs. In a show of goodwill, the league and the Spurs agreed to credit those games to former assistant Mitch Johnson. He was named head coach after Popovich’s retirement earlier this year.
He announced his retirement on April 13, 2023, after nearly three decades spent as the rock of the Spurs organization. His overall coaching record is now listed as 1,390 wins, 824 losses. This change gives a true count of the matches that Popovich coached. It’s even more significant considering the fact that he lost most of last season due to health concerns.
Here’s another significant change that the NBA should be thankful they made after the public outcry over Mitch Johnson having coached the Spurs for the final 77 games of last season. During his tenure, the team went 32-45. I think this is a fitting change to honor Popovich’s legacy as a coach going forward. Equally impressive, it details the Spurs’ coaching history with awesome precision.
Gregg Popovich’s all-time wins record updated through games played on 11/2/23. On that day, he had a fatal stroke at the organization’s headquarters and practice facility in San Antonio. As a result, Johnson became the interim head coach.
In his retirement announcement, Popovich expressed his deep connection to the game, stating, “While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach.”
This announcement to change his record as a player at that time demonstrates the overall desire and effort of the league to have accurate and transparent statistics to share. By subtracting the games he didn’t coach, the league hopes to protect the integrity of Popovich’s otherwise very impressive career.
The Spurs are beginning a new era with Mitch Johnson at the wheel. It goes without saying that all fans and analysts across the national landscape will watch intently to see how the team adapts or fails to adapt without their legendary coach. When you go back and see a coach starting his storied career in 1996. He departs with an incredible operational legacy that has molded the Spurs and re-engineered the game of basketball proper along with it.
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