Spurs’ Gregg Popovich Sends Message to Mitch Johnson, Team Following Stroke Diagnosis

It was revealed early Wednesday that Hall of Fame San Antonio Spurs head coach and team president Gregg Popovich suffered what the team has called a “mild stroke” late last month, and has been away from his team for weeks. The five-time champ has begun rehabilitating at home.

Read more: Spurs HC Gregg Popovich Revealed to Have Suffered Stroke

During a segment on ESPN’s “NBA Today” alongside host Malika Andrews, hoops insider Shams Charania has shed some light on the encouraging message Popovich recently shared with his replacement on the bench, interim head coach Mitch Johnson, as well as updating the anticipated timeline for Johnson’s tenure at the helm.

“Gregg Popovich is home and he is expected to make a full recovery from this mild stroke,” Charania indicated. “Obviously a very serious health situation that he had about a couple of weeks ago, something that left a lot of the players [traumatized]. Based on everything that’s happened to Popovich and seeing that in real time, it was a traumatic moment for them.”

Popovich, 75, suffered the stroke before a game and had to step away from the team. He is the oldest active NBA head coach, as well as the league’s longest-tenured head coach.

Popovich has served as San Antonio’s team president since 1994, and has been the club’s head coach since 1996. R.C. Buford is the Spurs’ other top front office executive, having been stewarding the team’s personnel decisions alongside Popovich since 2002.

Read more: Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich Out Indefinitely Due to Health Issue

“But one message that Gregg Popovich has delivered in recent days to Mitch Johnson, the interim head coach, and other executives within the Spurs organization is, ‘Don’t worry about me, focus on the task at hand here in San Antonio, and that’s to win and try to compete. And when I’m back, I’ll be back. Don’t worry about me,'” Charania revealed.

Popovich has led San Antonio to titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, plus an additional NBA Finals run in 2013. He boasts a cumulative 1,390-824 regular season win-loss record (not counting the games Johnson has coached for him this year), plus a career 170-114 playoff record.

“And in the meantime, in the interim, it will be Mitch Johnson for the foreseeable, extended future,” Charania added. “He will be the head coach, from what I’m told, for an extended period of time here this season. And the show goes on. They are very impressed with Mitch Johnson right now.”

Johnson, 37, a former Stanford point guard, has been on San Antonio’s bench under Popovich since 2019. Prior to that, he had worked for the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate squad, under head coaches Ken McDonald and Blake Ahearn from 2016-19. In his interim capacity, Johnson has guided the 2024-25 Spurs to a 3-3 record (5-6 overall for the year).

San Antonio is led by 2024 Rookie of the Year and All-Defensive First Team center Victor Wembanyama, who is still trying to figure out his jumper but remains an impressively dominant interior threat within eight feet.

This year, Wembanyama is joined by 12-time All-Star and future first-ballot Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul. Though diminished at age 39 (yes, he is two years older than his interim head coach), Paul remains an impeccable passer, and represents a massive upgrade at the position for Wembanyama.

Read more: Spurs Have ‘Great Level of Concern’ Regarding Gregg Popovich Health

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