LeBron James wished Gregg Popovich a speedy recovery after his mild stroke that will keep him away from the Spurs in their upcoming game against the Lakers.
LeBron James might not be the first player you think of when Greg Popovich gets mentioned, but they have a lot of history together.
Both are the longest-tenured people in their profession. LeBron is the oldest player in the NBA and playing in a record-tying 22nd NBA season. Popovich is the oldest coach in the league and has held his position in San Antonio for 29 seasons, longer than any other coach in NBA history.
Popovich is a coach LeBron has gone out of his way to give love and admiration to, including back in 2019 when he mentioned not being able to play in the FIBA World Cup despite loving the Spurs coach.
Last season, after a regular season matchup between the Lakers and Spurs, both Popovich and LeBron showered each other with praise and commended the longevity and excellence both have had over such a long period of time.
So, it’s no surprise that when LeBron was asked about the Lakers’ upcoming matchup against the Spurs on Friday, he was more focused on discussing the health and well-being of Greg Popovich instead of talking about the challenges of playing a young Spurs team led by Victor Wembanyama.
“To be honest, I haven’t even thought about it yet,” LeBron said after the Lakers’ win versus the Grizzlies. “I look forward to the matchup going into Friday, obviously. It’s always difficult to win a game in San Antonio. For me personally, it’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. Doesn’t even have to be on the sidelines. Hopefully I just I see him soon. That’s the most important thing for me.”
Popovich recently suffered a mild stroke but is expected to make a full recovery. In the meantime, Mitch Johnson will be the interim head coach for San Antonio.
Throughout their careers, Popovich and LeBron have had many epic duels against each other. LeBron James lost to the Popovich-led Spurs during his first NBA Finals trip back in 2007 as a Cavalier in a four-game sweep.
Then, he faced the Spurs in back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014 as a member of the Miami Heat. LeBron got the title against San Antonio in an epic seven-game series in 2013 and lost to the Spurs the following year.
The years of competing at the highest level have clearly created a bond between the two and it’s why, beyond the game, James cares about Popovich and his well-being.
Ultimately, the NBA is a community and LeBron and Popovich have been in it longer than anyone else, leading to them being connected in many ways.
Here’s hoping Popovich has a successful recovery so we can see both of them competing against one another as soon as possible.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
