The Los Angeles Lakers are heading to Texas to face the San Antonio Spurs in their first Emirates NBA Cup game of the 2024-25 season. There, they’ll face the dominant Victor Wembanyama coming off of the first 50-point game of his career on Wednesday night. It will be plenty to deal with for Lakers star LeBron James.
But one San Antonio staple who won’t be in attendance for Friday’s NBA Cup action is head coach Gregg Popovich. This is Popovich’s 29th season at the helm of the Spurs. He has won three Coach of the Year awards and five NBA titles, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in league history. Earlier this month, Popovich suffered a mild stroke that he is expected to make a full recovery from but will sideline him indefinitely.
So as James — who has had endless battles against Popovich and the Spurs over the years — looks ahead to the matchup, he finds it hard to think about anything other than the ailing coach.
“To be honest, I haven’t even thought about it yet. Look forward to the matchup going into Friday,” James said. “Obviously, it’s always difficult to win a game in San Antonio. Me personally, there’s much bigger news out of San Antonio right now. And that’s my dear friend, Coach Pop, and I’ll be thinking heavily about him as I travel there tomorrow, the game on Friday, and wishing him the best of health. Hopefully, I see him soon.”
James has played against Popovich and the Spurs in 43 regular season games and 16 postseason games, all over three NBA Finals. There is perhaps no greater familiarity between a coach and a player in the league that were never on the same team.
And beyond that, Popovich is one of the league’s most widely respected figures. It was a shock when the news was unveiled that he had suffered a mild stroke and would be away from the game indefinitely. Everyone is hoping that he can recover quickly and get back to full strength.
LeBron James records three straight triple-doubles
On the court, LeBron James has been dazzling over the last three games by recording three consecutive triple-doubles. He spoke about how he’s been able to have that type of success at this stage of his career.
“Just being very patient, just taking what the defense gives me. I’ve been doing it for a while. So I understand time and score. Understand the waves and the swings of the game. So nothing new to me.”
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
