Greg Popovich Appreciation Thread

[Zen]

Nothing says fuck you to David Stern like sending 4 of your top players home hours before a nationally televised game against the Heat. This man is a beast. Reading the Spurs forums is funny though, they are convinced Stern will exact ref revenge on the Spurs for this move. Either way, he hasn't been bashful in the past with his disagreement when Stern throws out a particularly shitty schedule, but this is a move that takes some brass balls.

https://twitter.com/Buck_SA/status/274255971533090817

The San Antonio Spurs have sent four of their top-five leading scorers back home instead of playing the Miami Heat on Thursday in a nationally televised game.

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green did not travel with the team after Wednesday night’s win in Orlando.

The Spurs were already without Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson.

Gregg Popovich will have nine active players.

“We’re getting tired,” Popovich said. “We’ve had a six-day trip and a 10-day trip. Usually you don’t have that in one month.”
Via Jeff McDonald/San Antonio Express-News

[PATRICK EWING]

LOL.... Love it....

Should have just put the Clippers, Thunder, Lakers back on TV....

[SRStark20]

The icing on the cake will be a Spurs victory.

[Mdog1]

The icing on the cake will be a Spurs victory.

That'd be hilrious lol.

Seriously though the regular season for the Spurs is more or less or formality, and they have a lot of older players so it's a very justified decision. The timing just makes it better.

["Boobie" Gibson]

I fail to understand how this says fuck you to David Stern? I don't know the story, so if someone could help me out, what's all this about?

[Zen]

I fail to understand how this says fuck you to David Stern? I don't know the story, so if someone could help me out, what's all this about?

Popovich believes that Stern puts the national TV schedule ahead of what is best for the players and teams as far as putting out a good product. The Spurs currently were scheduled for something like 16 days of the month on the road, with a national tv "scheduling loss" set for tonight against the Heat on the tail end of 4 games in 5 nights. No one wants to watch a bunch of third stringers play the Heat and you could imagine it should cost TNT a hefty chunk of viewership for the night.

[Randolphkeys]

Hey, Pops needed his big guns to knock out the 5-9 and in the first year of a rebuild Orlando Magic last night.

[RchfldCavRaised]

I love Pops

[Zen]

I also took this last night Basketball NBA - Miami Heat -6 -110 for Game, Hilarious they pulled it and its back up at -13 now

[3 Da Hard Way]

[Zen]

NBA commissioner David Stern said via a statement on TNT that the Spurs will be punished for Gregg Popovich’s decision to send four starters home, including Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, prior to tonight’s game at Miami.

Said Stern: “I apologize to all NBA fans. This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming.”

[Pyro]

Oh shit. Stern is mad.

[Maximus]

Fuck Stern...

[Zen]

I don't see how he could fine them when they didn't do so any of the previous times.

I like how Craig pointed out that he asked if they would be reviewing why a team on a 6 game road trip and 4 out of 5 games is playing a team that has rested since the weekend and the nba response was "no comment". I'm a bit torn on this personally I think a coach should be able to to do with his team as he sees fit. If they don't put a stop to this though and it becomes a frequent occurrence it really hurts the fans that buy tickets and opens the gates for a lot of gamesmanship.


*edit - another thought - What does Stern do if the Spurs win the game? How could you fine them at that point

[Simon]

Stern is a horrible commissioner.