Major update on San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich surfaces three months after suffering stroke

Five-time NBA champion head coach Gregg Popovich is not expected to return to the San Antonio Spurs bench after suffering a mild stroke earlier this season, ESPN is reporting.

The 76-year-old took leave in November shortly before the Spurs revealed he suffered a mild stroke.

He was replaced with assistant Mitch Johnson, who has gone 22-27 as interim head coach.

Overall the Spurs are 24-30 and not expected to compete for a playoff spot after losing franchise cornerstone Victor Wembanyama to deep vein thrombosis in right shoulder. Wembanyama will now go on blood thinners, which will prevent the 7-foot-3 sensation from competing for the remainder of the season. 

Spurs spokespeople did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment on Popovich.

Coach Pop, as he’s known, broke his silence in December after being away from the team for several weeks. 

‘This has certainly been an unexpected six weeks for my family and me,’ Popovich said in a statement shared by the Spurs. 

‘As we work together on my recovery, I want to take a moment to share that the outpouring of support we’ve received during this time has been truly overwhelming in the best possible way. While I wish I could get back to each one of you, for now, let me say that my family and I are forever grateful. We’re thankful for our wonderful community, the entire Spurs organization, and our family and friends.’

The good news is that the stroke has not hurt Popovich’s scathing, self-deprecating sense of humor.  

‘No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process,’ he added. ‘They’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable.’

A widower and father of two, Popovich lost his wife Erin in 2018, but has remained in charge in San Antonio, where he’s reached icon status. Popovich is a five-time champion who helped to turn the Spurs into one of the NBA’s most dominant teams of the post-Jordan era.

ESPN’s report obviously comes at a difficult time for the Spurs after Wembanyama was ruled out for the season due to a vein thrombosis. 

The condition occurs when blood begins to clot in deeper veins in the body. It can become seriously dangerous because those clots could loosen and end up in the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. 

The injury to the former No. 1 draft pick comes just days after Wembanyama’s first All-Star Game appearance. The 21-year-old Frenchman was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2023-24, as well as an All-Defensive First Team selection after leading the league in blocked shots.

Wembanyama’s condition was diagnosed this week after he returned from the All-Star Game, the Spurs said. It is almost always treated with blood-thinning medication, which typically precludes a player from participating in a contact sport such as basketball. 

Athletes who are involved with contact sports are typically advised to avoid using such medication because of the heightened chance of bleeding.