Coach Pop says he will not return to lead the San Antonio Spurs this season

Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.

The San Antonio Spurs announced on social media on Thursday that Coach Gregg Popovich will not return to the sidelines this season.

Popovich suffered a stroke last November and has since been in recovery.

Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson has served as interim head coach in Pop's absence.

Pop said he will continue to focus on his health with the hopes of returning to coaching in the future.

The Hall of Famer is the winningest coach in NBA history.

The news came days after the Spurs sidelined superstar Victor Wembanyama for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury.

Sports

Wemby out for the rest of the season for San Antonio Spurs

Brian Kirkpatrick

The team announced that Victor Wembanyama has deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, forcing him off the roster for the rest of the season.

Earlier in February, Johnson said it has been a roller coaster season for the Spurs, who continue to be competitive despite adversity:

"You look at our season. There's been Pop. And then there was New York. And then there was the LA fires. And then there was Paris. And then there was acquiring DeAaron Fox. And then there was Victor's injury. There's been a lot. There's been some good. There's been some hard, adversity. The guys have been great."

Dan Katz contributed to this report.

TPR was founded by and is supported by our community. If you value our commitment to the highest standards of responsible journalism and are able to do so, please consider making your gift of support today.