Rumors

Ray Romano is pulling from real-life basketball figures for his latest role. While speaking with PEOPLE at Netflix’s Running Point season 2 premiere event in Los Angeles on April 15, Romano revealed he modeled his character, Coach Norm Stinson, after a legendary person in the NBA.

People

“I thought what NBA [should I look to] … Well, first of all, the script was explaining who the guy was,” he explains. “And then I like … Who can I emulate? And the guy I thought of was [Gregg] Popovich.” Romano adds, “Yeah. I think if I ever was a coach, I would be close to him. I’m close to his age and I just like his demeanor and all that.” “That was the base,” he says. “And then we let it go from there.”

People

Matt Guzman: Keldon Johnson on the impact Gregg Popovich's has had on him: "Pop believed in me. He believed in me when I was young, and when I didn't necessarily believe in myself ... "He's the most loving, genuine, caring individual I've ever come across. I feel like he's affected my career in amazing ways. In amounts I could never put into words." #PorVida

x.com

Tom Petrini: Mitch on Popovich: "He's been very open, honest and supportive in his in his own way, as he's always been. And obviously, when you have someone with that wealth of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, of what we're walking into, I think it's wise to have open ears."

x.com

Spurs Hall of Famers Gregg Popovich, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and George Gervin were in attendance amongst a sell-out crowd at the Frost Bank Center adorned in a sea of bright T-shirts in the team's Fiesta colors. Was the pressure of having the hopes of a city and so many Hall of Famers on his shoulders too weighty for the 22-year-old Wembanyama? “I wouldn’t say weight. I would say it feels safe,” Wembanyama said. “It feels like if you trip, there’s a lot of hands that’s ready to catch you.”

Yahoo! Sports

Jared Weiss: NEW: Coach Pop turned heads when he showed up to Spurs practice Friday, but he has been around the team throughout the season more than people realize. From rehab with Tim Duncan to weekly calls with Keldon Johnson, here’s how Pop continues to be El Jefe. “He’s definitely still himself. He’s still sharp. He’s still very much Pop. He has not skipped a beat at all.”

x.com

But Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox revealed that Popovich actually addressed the team Wednesday as they began preparing for a first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers. “He’s one of the winningest coaches ever, one of the coaches with the most rings ever,” Fox said Friday. “So it’s only right that he felt like he needed to come in and preach to the choir.”

New York Times

Keldon Johnson, who played five seasons with Popovich and is the longest-tenured current member of the team, maintains a close relationship with the man who shaped his career in San Antonio. “He looks amazing. He’s doing great. It’s always good to see him,” Johnson told The Athletic last week, noting that he just talked to Popovich in the gym the day before. “He stays in touch. He texts me or calls me from time to time, probably every other day.”

New York Times

The San Antonio Spurs have their opponent set in the Portland Trail Blazers for the opening round of the NBA playoffs following the Blazers’ play-in win against the Phoenix Suns this past week. As the Spurs prepared for Game 1 against the Blazers, they had a familiar face stop by practice in former head coach Gregg Popovich.

Clutch Points

Popovich's move empowered Keldon Johnson to unabashedly let his personality flow. But the Kentucky-ex brought so much more to the team than his fun-loving ways. From the first time he stepped onto the court through present day, his bold, hard-charging "Big Body" style sets a tone for the Spurs. "You see it all over the place," Mitch Johnson said. "The kid's just falling on the floor. He puts his body in harm's way for the betterment of the team every game. He is the heart and soul of the team. We got a lot of big personalities and we got a face of the franchise (in Wembanyama), but that guy's the heart and soul."

San Antonio Express-News

RC Buford on Gregg Popovich: “He’s incredibly disciplined—one of the most disciplined people I’ve ever met. He comes into the gym five days a week, does his rehabilitation, and continues to get better. The most emotional part of his journey now is that Tim has been in the gym with him every day. When Manu, Tony, or Boris come in from out of town, they’re there with him every day as well. It’s incredible to see the love and respect they have for each other. None of those guys have to be there, and Pop would still be there whether they were or not. To me, that shows we have a different kind of relationship and emotional connection within our organization, because I don’t think there are many teams where you would see that.”

YouTube

San Antonio Spurs: Gregg Popovich on the passing of Spurs College Scout Mark Freidinger.

Twitter

R.C. on Pop: "Pop is recovering amazingly well from his stroke...Tim Duncan's been there everyday...Tony or Manu or visitors from other teams...they all come & spend time with Pop... It's really emotional to see how connected our group has been for so long and how they continue to show up for Pop."

reddit

Tom Orsborn: Spurs pay tribute to Doug Moe with a moment of silence. Moe, who died Tuesday at age 87, ranks second to Pop in franchise history for games coached and wins.

bsky.app