Gregg Popovich Should Leave the Spurs, but Not for the Reason You Think

• San Antonio Spurs’ president and head coach Gregg Popovich is now 71-years-old, and his legacy is unquestioned.
• Rumors had Coach Popovich leaving the Spurs to coach the Brooklyn Nets, but Steve Nash’s hiring has painted a different picture.
• Coach Pop should step aside for one reason only; to allow assistant coach Becky Hammon to become the new head coach of the organization.

Gregg Popovich is one of the best NBA coaches of all-time. You could say that he’s one of the very best coaches in sports history, period. After becoming a five-time NBA champion as the Spurs’ head man, it’s time someone took his place.

The rumors of Coach Popovich to Brooklyn Nets are over as Steve Nash accepted the gig earlier today.

So, what should he do? He should leave behind his rank as head coach and focus on his ability to better the franchise as their president. Who’d be the perfect fit to take his place as lead-controller from the bench?

Becky Hammon.

She already has an unprecedented rapport with Spurs’ players. This video shows her feeding Rudy Gay with the orange during warm-ups.

Gregg Popovich and Pau Gasol Approve

Coach Popovich has spoken on Becky’s behalf many times. Here are comments from Popovich several years ago in regards to his thoughts about Hammon.

Popovich stated:

She’s right in the middle and she knows how to do it and our players really respond to her. She’s just a natural…She talks the game. She understands the game. So for all those reasons, you really know she’s got that same sort of Avery Johnson, Steve Kerr, [Mike] Budenholzer-type thing.

Adding,

She’s been perfect. She knows when to talk and she knows when to shut up. That’s as simple as you can put it. A lot of people don’t figure that out.

Pau Gasol, an 18-year NBA veteran with nearly 21,000 points, chimed-in about Becky as well. Pau wrote about Hammon in The Players’ Tribune back in 2018, saying:

Arguing on Coach Hammon’s behalf would feel patronizing. To me, it would be strange if NBA teams were not interested in her as a head coach…

I’ve played under two of the sharpest minds in the history of sports, in Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. And I’m telling you: Becky Hammon can coach. I’m not saying she can coach pretty well. I’m not saying she can coach enough to get by. I’m not saying she can coach almost at the level of the NBA’s male coaches. I’m saying: Becky Hammon can coach NBA basketball. Period.

It’s Becky Hammon Time

Your coaching retirement awaits you, Gregg Popovich. Becky has proved herself. As a Colorado State Ram (1995-99) collegiately, Hammon surpassed Keith Van Horn in 1998-99 to become the all-time leading scorer in WAC history.

As a WNBA player, Hammon was a six-time All-Star, was named as one of the WNBA’s Top 15 Players of All Time in 2011, and had her No. 25-jersey retired by the San Antonio Stars.

As an assistant coach in the NBA, Becky just completed her sixth season with the Spurs. We know what Gregg Popovich and Pau Gasol think of her based on the statements above.

Now is the time to step aside and promote Becky Hammon as the next head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. She deserves it.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.