Emotion and legacy in San Antonio
Victor Wembanyama could barely articulate words. Minutes after the San Antonio Spurs clinched the Western Conference title and a ticket to the NBA Finals against the Knicks, he was overwhelmed by a question about Gregg Popovich.
“I don’t know what it means for him. He’s a guy with more experience than almost anyone, he’s been through so many things… He’s going through situations we couldn’t even imagine. I need to call him, see him, talk to him,” said the center, visibly moved.
Popovich, 77, suffered a stroke in November 2024 that ended his coaching career. Today he is the Spurs’ president of operations — and, unofficially, “The Boss,” as he introduced himself when he showed off a T-shirt with that phrase in his first public appearance after the incident.
He still uses a cane, but his influence has not faded. He visits training sessions, attends games and, after a loss in the conference finals, gave a speech in the locker room.
Devin Vassell described him like this: “He has a wisdom that you can’t take for granted. He helps a lot.”
The first game of the series against the Knicks will be on Wednesday in San Antonio. New York coach Mike Brown — Popovich’s former assistant — joked that the crossing would save him flights for his family. “His presence is huge. He always will be,” Brown said.
Popovich even received the team at the airport after Wembanyama was sent off for an elbow. “He gives us constant feedback,” said the Frenchman, without revealing the message.
With five rings as a coach, Popovich led the Spurs in 1999 against the same Knicks. Now, Mitch Johnson faces his first final. And Wembanyama knows it: no one knows the path better than “The Boss.”
