Gregg Popovich Quote: I’d Last About A Month Coaching The 76ers

A Gregg Popovich quote has captured the attention of NBA fans online.

On Saturday night, the San Antonio Spurs played host to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Though the game was not very competitive, there were plenty of highlights. Fans got to witness rookie sensation Jahlil Okafor go up against established big men in LaMarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan. He proved worthy of the hype by scoring 21 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Aldridge put on quite a show himself with 17 points and 19 rebounds. The legendary Spurs chemistry, unselfishness, and teamwork was on full display as five players scored in double digits.

However, none of that gained as much attention as when Popovich gave an interview afterwards.

Popovich doesn’t always play nice with the media. He does not like providing them with much fodder. In very many ways, Popovich is the NBA version of NFL head coach Bill Belichick. It should come as no surprise to sports fans that the two of them have a mutual admiration of one another.

Saturday night was the exception to the rule.

When asked about the mediocre 76ers, Popovich candidly admitted that he would last approximately a month as the coach of the franchise, according to a report from CBS Sports.

That may seem like a verbal jab at the Sixers. After all, they’ve been a pretty awful NBA team for the past several years. Philadelphia only has one winning season over the past decade. They have had lottery pick after lottery pick during that time frame as well. The 76ers are essentially the laughingstock of the league.

Popovich, though, was not bashing the franchise. In fact, he was praising head coach Brett Brown by stating that he actually loves coaching the Sixers despite their inability to win a lot of games. Popovich is used to winning. He has won nearly 1,500 games since taking the helm of the Spurs back in 1996. During that time, he has captured the NBA Championship on five different occasions.

Brown received the praise since he is a former protege of Popovich. The 54-year-old spent more than a decade under Popovich in San Antonio, where he worked as director of player development and as an assistant coach. Brown’s work with the Spurs was a major reason why the 76ers offered him the head coaching position. They wanted someone from a winning organization to come change the atmosphere in Philadelphia.

The self-admission that Popovich needs talented players to win games is another thing of interest.

For years, Popovich has had a plethora of talent on his roster. David Robinson is legitimately one of the best players the NBA has ever seen. The former Navy center was succeeded by Tim Duncan, who will more than likely be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame some day. International superstar guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili will have a chance at that as well. Super clutch forward Robert Horry heads a list of unselfish and talented role players that the Spurs have been fortunate enough to have.

The Gregg Popovich quote is something that Phil Jackson has never uttered in public. The former head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls embraces the notion that he is the greatest NBA head coach of all time. His critics, however, have pointed out the amount of talent that he has had on his roster over the years. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Shaquille O’Neal are among the greats that have played for Jackson.

Fans have debated between Jackson and Popovich as being the best coach of all time.

It is nice to see that one of them admits that talented players were a factor.

[Featured Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images]