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Michael C. Wright, ESPN editor
San Antonio Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson issued a statement before speaking to the media Monday at the Intuit Dome, highlighting the “impact on our organization” of Gregg Popovich, on the heels of what the team announced as an indefinite absence after suffering a health issue Saturday at the Frost. Banking center.
“He’ll be fine and we can’t wait to have him back,” Johnson said.
But the Spurs are entering uncharted territory, as Popovich’s absences against the Minnesota Timberwolves and LA Clippers match the most consecutive games (two) he has missed during the regular season. San Antonio will face the Houston Rockets on Wednesday and Popovich will not be with the team.
When the coach sits out against Houston, it would tie his most consecutive absences in the regular season or playoffs.
Johnson, 39, will remain as Spurs coach as Popovich continues to recover, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania, but as the team works behind the scenes to evaluate its coach’s health, the future remains uncertain , with no other emergency plan in place. .
Here is the latest news on developments in San Antonio:
What is the update on Gregg Popovich’s status?
The team is not providing official updates, including a timetable for his return, out of respect for the coach and his privacy. The extent of the coach’s health issue is not fully known, but sources told ESPN that Popovich was home and resting.
Johnson spoke with Popovich on Sunday and said, “he’s in good spirits.”
“Obviously the circumstances are unique,” Johnson said of his conversation with Popovich. “But as much continuity and familiarity as we can have, I think that’s what we’re looking for.” This is what we know Pop would want. He said he wanted us to do it. We talked and nothing changes.
Popovich has not spoken to any of the San Antonio players, according to point guard Chris Paul.
“I didn’t do it, and I don’t think any of the guys on the team did,” Paul said. “Obviously we wanted it. We try to give him space and make sure we can control what we can control.
What have the Spurs done in the past when Pop was sick or out?
The Spurs have historically used assistant coaches as backups whenever Popovich missed games. In the past, the assistant taking on this responsibility was usually the one who spotted the next opponent entering the match.
Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, former Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown and former Spurs big man Tim Duncan all replaced Popovich during their tenure as a Spurs assistant .
But this time it’s different, as sources tell Charania that the organization immediately turned to Johnson to succeed Popovich. Johnson has replaced Popovich in the past, leading San Antonio in March 2023 to a 110-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers when the coach fell ill.
Johnson also replaced Popovich in 2021 when he attended Tim Duncan’s Hall of Fame induction.
“This has happened several times,” Johnson said. “My role is different. I once coached a summer league. I was behind the bench. I was in the G League. All of these things help the organization. It’s just another opportunity in a different role to hopefully help the team win.
Who is Mitch Johnson, the current interim coach of the Spurs?
Johnson, 37, joined the team as an assistant with the Austin Spurs in 2016, quickly establishing himself as a rising star in the coaching ranks. Many in the NBA said he was poised to become head coach at the start of the season and was impressive when interviewing for head coaching jobs with other teams, sources said .
Johnson is the son of former two-time NBA All-Star John Johnson and initially spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the franchise’s G League affiliate in Austin, helping him win a championship the G League in 2018 before joining Popovich’s team in 2019.
He played college basketball at Stanford, where he averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 assists as the Cardinal twice qualified for the NCAA Tournament during his tenure. Johnson also played briefly in the G League for Tulsa.
What other assistants are on the Spurs bench?
Brown spent nine years as an assistant under Popovich in San Antonio before leaving in 2013 to become head coach of the 76ers. Brown coached for seven seasons in Philadelphia, but returned to San Antonio in 2022 as an assistant. Matt Nielsen is the other assistant on the bench.
Brown, 63, is focused on his role as a player development coach. The club originally hired him in 2002, when the Spurs first brought future Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili to San Antonio from Europe, and immediately paired him with Ginobili to help with his development.
Sources said that in recent years, Johnson and Nielsen handled much of San Antonio’s film studies, with Popovich gradually delegating those responsibilities to assistants.
Like Johnson, Nielsen worked with San Antonio’s G League affiliate before joining Popovich’s staff, serving as head coach of the Austin Spurs during the 2020-21 season, after working there the previous season as an assistant. Nielsen began his coaching career in San Antonio as a player development assistant during the 2014-15 season and spent time as an assistant with the club’s 2014 Summer League team -19.
Nielsen worked as head coach of San Antonio’s Summer League team before Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season.
ESPN’s Shams Charania and Ramona Shelburne contributed to this report.