Gregg Popovich’s Bold Confrontations: How the NBA’s Truth Teller Took on Trump and Exposed America’s Deep Divides

Gregg Popovich might just be the most paradoxical figure in modern sports—a gruff teddy bear whose steely resolve sculpted the San Antonio Spurs into an NBA dynasty. After nearly 30 years manning the Spurs’ bench, Popovich is stepping away from coaching to take on the role of president of basketball operations, circling back to a position he held before his legendary coaching run. At 76, the man who proudly calls himself “El Jefe” has claimed five NBA titles, carving his name deeply into the annals of history as one of basketball’s all-time great strategists. But beyond the X’s and O’s, Popovich stood alone as the NBA’s unabashed moral compass, fearlessly speaking truths many shied away from—especially when it came to challenging political figures like Donald Trump. His willingness to straddle the line between sports and social conscience not only defined his career but set a high-water mark for what a coach’s voice could be in turbulent times. As we mark this pivotal transition, it’s clear Popovich’s influence will echo far beyond the hardwood, shaping the game’s future in ways only “El Jefe” could envision. LEARN MORE

Raise a glass to Gregg Popovich, the gruff teddy bear who lifted the San Antonio Spurs into the NBA’s elite. After three decades on the Spurs’ sideline, he is stepping back from coaching to become the team’s president of basketball operations. It’s a back-to-the-future move for the 76-year-old: he was the Spurs’ general manager for eight years before he became the team’s coach. (“I’m no longer the coach, I’m El Jefe,” Popovich jokingly declared this week before unveiling a T-shirt with that Spanish title.) Altogether, Pop won five NBA championships from 1999 through 2014, a run that puts him among the greatest coaches in league history. But when it came to being the NBA’s unflinching statesman, he was in a league all by himself.Popovich’s coaching style wasn’t always appreciated in its heyday, before the current 3-and-D era took hold. Casual fans dismissed the Spurs’ dogmatically unselfish brilliance, the apogee of Brown’s play-the-right-way ethos, as a bore even as San Antonio piled up the victories – first with Naval Academy hero David Robinson, then Duncan, then perennial All-Star swingman Kawhi Leonard. And while Popovich was hard on his players – not least Duncan (who was frequently made an example of for the greater good) and may have cost himself more rings by losing his patience with Leonard (whose frequent injuries and sporadic availability proved frustrating), the coach’s compassion won out more often than not.But during the team’s exhibition trip to Paris earlier this year, Wembanyama hosted the boozy team dinner while Popovich stayed back in the US to recover from a stroke that would eventually lead to his stepping down. After suffering another health scare last month, Popovich fully relinquished his coaching duties. As much as it smarts to not see him go for a sixth title with Wembanyama after keeping the Spurs fighting during fallow times, it just means Popovich can finally get to work on what would be his boldest statement yet: installing Becky Hammon as the NBA’s first female head coach.

But during the team’s exhibition trip to Paris earlier this year, Wembanyama hosted the boozy team dinner while Popovich stayed back in the US to recover from a stroke that would eventually lead to his stepping down. After suffering another health scare last month, Popovich fully relinquished his coaching duties. As much as it smarts to not see him go for a sixth title with Wembanyama after keeping the Spurs fighting during fallow times, it just means Popovich can finally get to work on what would be his boldest statement yet: installing Becky Hammon as the NBA’s first female head coach.

But during the team’s exhibition trip to Paris earlier this year, Wembanyama hosted the boozy team dinner while Popovich stayed back in the US to recover from a stroke that would eventually lead to his stepping down. After suffering another health scare last month, Popovich fully relinquished his coaching duties. As much as it smarts to not see him go for a sixth title with Wembanyama after keeping the Spurs fighting during fallow times, it just means Popovich can finally get to work on what would be his boldest statement yet: installing Becky Hammon as the NBA’s first female head coach.

AdvertisementAdvertisementBut where Van Gundy and Budenholzer are respected for their opinions outside the game because of their stature in it, and Kerr – whose father was murdered while serving as president of the American University of Beirut – is blood-bound to rebuke immorality in all its forms, it hits different when Popovich enters the chat because he comes from a background that chimes with many conservatives in America. Popovich played college basketball at the Air Force Academy in the 1960s and was the team’s captain and leading scorer his senior year. After graduating with a degree in Soviet studies and serving his required five years, he considered a career in the CIA before starting his coaching journey as an Air Force assistant in the early 1970s.