Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will get 1,336th win to interrupt Don Nelson’s all-time NBA report

Gregg Popovich turned the all-time winningest head coach within the NBA with 1,336 victories.

Popovich surpassed Don Nelson, who beforehand held the report for many regular-season wins, with the San Antonio Spurs‘ 104-102 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz on Friday evening.

“It is only a testomony to an entire lot of individuals,” Popovich stated. “One thing like this doesn’t belong to 1 particular person. Basketball’s a group sport. You preach to your gamers that they need to do it collectively and that is definitely been the case in my life with all of the fantastic gamers and coaches, the employees that I have been blessed with, the help of this glorious metropolis. The followers help us it doesn’t matter what.

“All of us share on this report. It is not mine. It is ours, right here within the metropolis.”

The Spurs launched a video from Nelson after the sport, congratulating Popovich — whom he referred to as certainly one of his greatest pals — and telling him how proud he’s of his former assistant’s accomplishments “and all of the fantastic stuff you’ve executed for basketball, worldwide.”

“I am so happy with you for doing it,” Nelson stated. “I could not look forward to this present day to occur. And I simply need you to know as certainly one of my greatest pals in life I simply want you the perfect on your remaining years within the NBA.”

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Popovich, 73, is in his 26th season with the Spurs, the longest tenure of any head coach in all 4 of the U.S. main sports activities leagues.

“Gregg Popovich’s success with the Spurs is unprecedented in our league so it is solely becoming that he now holds the report for many profession wins,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated in an announcement.

“His management and unwavering dedication to the sport are broadly admired by generations of gamers and coaches alike. Congratulations to Coach Pop on this newest achievement in his legendary profession.”

Following the sport, Popovich was introduced with the sport ball by Spurs All-Star guard Dejounte Murray in a joyful locker room celebration.

“Coach Pop you deserve it and all of us love you and we’re glad we’re right here to have the ability to get pleasure from this second with you,” Murray stated in presenting Popovich the ball to commemorate the feat.

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Murray earlier had stated the Spurs didn’t focus on Popovich closing in on the report however added that the gamers have been able to have fun the milestone.

“Pop would not like reward,” Murray stated. “He would not like all of that. It is type of a very good factor. However you additionally need to remind him of his success as a result of it is uncommon. As a result of he is a man that simply desires to deal with successful and daily. He by no means brings up something to reward himself.

“We do not discuss [the record], however we rattling certain going to get pleasure from it once we do get it for him as a result of he is a terrific man and he deserves it. He pushes all his gamers, whether or not you are the primary man, final man, G-League participant, 10-day contract, he embraces you from day one. He deserves every part.”

Longtime Spurs level guard Tony Parker additionally supplied early congratulations to his former coach.

“Very completely satisfied for Pop,” Parker informed ESPN. “Very completely satisfied. That could be a helluva achievement. Nicely-deserved. That exhibits his onerous work ethic and longevity.”

Popovich, who was named among the many NBA’s 15 best head coaches of all time in February, has gained 5 championships and three Coach of the Yr awards. He has a report 23 consecutive successful common seasons and likewise had a streak of 22 straight playoff appearances.

After teaching at Pomona-Pitzer in Claremont, California, Popovich joined Larry Brown’s Spurs employees in 1988. After 4 seasons with the Spurs, Popovich joined Nelson’s employees in Golden State in 1992 as an assistant.

“He is simply the best coach to ever lace them up,” Nelson informed ESPN. “Once I employed him as an assistant coach, I figured he may be taught one thing from me. However I realized extra from him than he realized from me, that is for certain.”

He is the fourth coach, going again to the top of the NBA’s first season, to face atop the wins checklist. Purple Auerbach held the mark for a few half-century, adopted by Lenny Wilkens, adopted by Nelson — and now, Popovich.

“The ironic factor about that is Nellie gave me a job after I did not have one again in ’92,” Popovich stated. “He took me on. To be on this place, as the identical breath as him, is in my view undeserving and fairly awkward as a result of he was so fantastic in saving my household’s ass. So, it is ironic that I am sitting right here on this scenario.”

Popovich was with Golden State for 2 seasons earlier than returning to San Antonio as the overall supervisor and vp of basketball operations in 1994.

Through the 1996-97 season, Popovich moved again to the bench, taking on as head coach, the place he has remained ever since.

“It is like a no brainer,” stated Milwaukee head coach Mike Budenholzer, who spent 17 seasons as a Spurs assistant coach. “If you wish to do the highest three or the Mount Rushmore [of coaches], I do not suppose there’s any doubt the place he’s and the place he belongs. The success, consistency and the longevity, and the affect he is had on a whole group, on particular person gamers, on coaches, on GMs, on scouts, on gear guys, on households. He is been extremely impactful in simply so many ways in which go means, means past the wins and the video games and the championships and all these issues.

“Simply the consistency to have it, not now, however for 20 years to be a championships contender, enjoying for championships and playoffs, I simply do not suppose you’ll ever see that once more from one group, from one coach. That run, the [New England] Patriots type of comparable, I feel that’s the factor that I do know I’m in all probability essentially the most in awe of.”

With the Spurs in a rebuilding section, wins have been harder to return by for Popovich this season. However these near him level out that that is simply one other instance of his greatness — his potential to adapt to the instances, the altering recreation and expertise and expertise on his roster.

“I feel he is adjusted, he is tailored,” Corridor of Fame middle David Robinson informed ESPN. “He is gained below completely different circumstances with completely different mixtures of groups. We have been a dominant defensive group, to [the teams] with Kawhi [Leonard] and all these guys, they have been dominant offensively. That they had a pleasant combine [on both sides]. And even now, you see how he is needed to regulate to a really, very completely different group.

“I feel that is what’s made him nice. How do you win 67% of your video games or no matter it’s for 25 years? It is ridiculous. It is fairly wonderful.”

Popovich has lengthy had the respect from his gamers and his friends. Apart from his teaching success, Popovich has all the time been vocal about what he believes in, taking stands for social justice and racial equality.

And whereas Popovich has now gained extra video games than every other NBA coach, a few of his gamers and employees members additionally bear in mind how he did a few of his greatest work after excruciating losses by protecting his group collectively.

After an extra time loss in Recreation 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals, when the Spurs misplaced partly attributable to Ray Allen’s iconic 3-point shot, Popovich gathered his group for dinner in Miami and consoled every of his devastated gamers. The Warmth beat the Spurs in seven video games, however San Antonio bounced again to beat them within the Finals the subsequent season.

“After dropping Recreation 6 when it was nearly the championship gained, his phrase was [often], ‘Win it collectively. Lose it collectively. Man’s bought to eat.’ So we ate collectively,” longtime Spurs ahead Manu Ginobili informed ESPN. “We talked and principally cried collectively, and we checked out one another and he went one desk at a time with completely different gamers, had conversations and tried to cheer us up once we have been devastated. That was one other nice instance of management and attempting to carry us collectively and optimistic concerning the subsequent one or looking for solutions.”

ESPN’s Marc Spears, Dave McMenamin, Brian Windhorst, Baxter Holmes and The Related Press contributed to this report.