Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Legendary San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was taken to hospital after a “medical incident” at a restaurant on Tuesday but is home and “doing fine,” ESPN reported on Friday. Celebrity website TMZ had first reported that the 76-year-old coach, who suffered a stroke in November, was placed on a stretcher and taken to hospital with what officials called a non-life-threatening injury or illness. ESPN cited an unnamed source in reporting Popovich was recovering at home on Friday.
Popovich is the NBA’s winningest coach with 1,412 regular-season victories and 170 in the playoffs. He guided the Spurs to five NBA titles in 29 seasons at the helm. He led the United States to basketball gold at the Tokyo Olympics and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
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On November 2, he suffered what the Spurs called a “mild stroke” at the team’s arena ahead of a home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Assistant Mitch Johnson stepped in as interim head coach, and Popovich confirmed in February that he wouldn’t return to the sidelines this season. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Popovich said in February that he would continue to focus on his health “with the hope that I can return to coaching in the future.”
Already the oldest coach in NBA history, Popovich agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Spurs in 2023.
© 2024 AFP
