NBA coaching great has stroke, should fully recover

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is expected to make a full recovery after suffering a mild stroke earlier this month.

The episode occurred on November 2 in San Antonio prior to the Spurs' 113-103 victory against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. The team said then Popovich had missed the game with an illness but now have revealed he had a stroke.

Popovich, 75, has started a rehabilitation program. However a timeline to return to the sideline has not been determined. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson, 37, has served as the interim coach for the Spurs over the last five games and will continue to do so in Popovich's absence.

Popovich has coached the Spurs since the 1996-97 season, leading them to five NBA championships and compiling a record of 1,390-827.

On March 11, 2022, Popovich surpassed Don Nelson for the most regular season wins by a coach with his 1,336th victory.

The Basketball Hall of Famer is a three-time NBA Coach of the Year. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he coached the US men's national team to a gold medal.