Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich sometimes sounds more like a “life coach” than a basketball coach. It makes sense because for Popovich, hoops and life are intertwined. When he was named Mike Krzyzewski‘s replacement as the head coach of Team USA Basketball, Popovich said the USA team program was a “shining example of teamwork and togetherness and people all focused on one goal. And playing together and just being empathetic for each other, understanding each other, loving each other.”
Popovich was disturbed about the just concluded presidential election, saying its “xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic” tenor made him “sick to my stomach.” In its wake, he’s doubling down on the values he believes are most important. His success has long been predicated on these same values, but it’s clear from recent statements that Popovich wants to use his platform to make sure people have their priorities right. Dave Zirin at The Nation shared the quote below, which is the answer Popovich gave to a kid who asked if the Spurs were going to win the title this year:
“Win the championship? I don’t know, but it’s not a priority in my life. I’d be much happier if I knew that my players were going to make society better, who had good families and who took care of the people around them. I’d get more satisfaction out of that than a title. I would love to win another championship and we’ll work our butts off to try and do that. But we have to want more than success in our jobs. That’s why we’re here. We’re here so you’ll understand that you can overcome obstacles by being prepared and if you educate the hell out of yourself. If you become respectful, disciplined people in this world, you can fight anything. If you join with each other and you believe in yourself and each other, that’s what matters. That’s what we want to relay to you all: that we believe that about you or we wouldn’t be here.”
