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Gregg Popovich Stepping Down From San Antonio Spurs?

Gregg Popovich Stepping Down From San Antonio Spurs?

Gregg Popovich Stepping Down From San Antonio Spurs?

Is Gregg Popovich stepping down from the San Antonio Spurs at some point in the foreseeable future?

Last April, the 71-year-old head coach signed a three-year extension to remain with the team he has become synonymous with.

Unfortunately, it does not sound as though the future Hall of Famer will end up serving out the entirety of that deal.

According to The Athletic NBA insider Sam Amick, there is currently a widespread belief across the league that Popovich is taking things on a year by year basis.

He could return next season, or he could hang his whistle up for good. It is really anyone’s guess at this point.

For now, Popovich appears to still love coaching. This is evidenced by the fact that he is going to be coaching the American side at the summer Olympic games.

Beyond that? It is a little less clear.

Currently the Spurs are 24-31 through 55 outings – good for 10th place in the Western Conference. The team is essentially stuck in a weird middle zone right now.

It has players like DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge who are not ideal for a rebuilding type situation. At the same time, it does not make sense to dump those guys and start anew with a head coach who will likely be gone at some point within the next 36 months.

In a lot of ways, Popovich’s presence is hindering the franchise from moving on to its logical next step – the full rebuild.

According to Amick, when Popovich does ultimately decide to move on, Kansas head coach Bill Self figures to be a likely candidate to replace him.

A highly respected figure in the basketball community for both his basketball prowess and general likability, Self is considered a natural replacement for a giant figure of Popovich’s stature.

One way or another, there will likely be a lot of conversations regarding Popovich’s future come this summer.

Related: Udoka Azubuike Shines In Kansas Win Over Baylor

Michael Kyaw

Michael Kyaw, initially a PR Manager, built up a valuable network of connections in the sports world that he then utilized to become an influential sports business reporter. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, Fansided, ESPN and the Wall Street Journal.

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