On the court, Gregg Popovich is seen as one of the best minds in
basketball after winning multiple rings and honing notable names in the NBA, such as rookie Victor Wembanyama. Off the court, the San Antonio Spurs head coach is among those in the league with advocacies that help make the world a better place. Popovich first entered the the Spurs franchise as an assistant coach in 1988. He left San Antonio after its former owner fired the coaching staff and joined the Golden State Warriors for a brief stint as an assistant coach again in 1992. From there, he would make his way to become general manager of the Spurs in 1994, and eventually its head coach in 1996. Since then, Coach Pop has helped create a culture of winning and excellence in San Antonio by making the most out of the talent that comes along his way. Apart from Spurs center Victor Wembanyama , Popovich was also instrumental in developing Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili , Tony Parker, and Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray , among others. Apart from coaching the Spurs, Popovich has also invested a large amount of time and money for humanitarian work. Among the charities and non-profit organizations he has helped are the Innocence Project and the San Antonio Food Bank. San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich Drops Statement Supporting Autism Awareness Although the Spurs’ season is almost over, Popovich isn’t done working on his advocacies. Just recently, the legendary head coach dropped a statement that will turn more eyes on Autism in a post shared by Tom Orsborn on X: Pop on wearing shoes for autism awareness: “It’s a malady that is misunderstood in some ways. It’s like that person is the ‘other’. That person is just different and really deserves our attention, our support and the realization they have other traits that make them special,” Orsborn tweeted . According to the Massachusetts General Hospital , the said spectrum disorder is one of the fastest-growing developmental disorders in the
United States. It also affects 1 in 36 kids, with the majority of them being boys. With several more years in his current contract for San Antonio, Gregg Popovich will still have an opportunity to craft the Spurs’ future. Along the way, the Hall of Fame-bound coach will still have a platform for his advocacies, including Autism awareness, and the means to give these issues the attention they deserve from the public. This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.