NBA-Spurs coach Popovich recovering from mild stroke, team says

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(Reuters) – San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke and is expected to make a full recovery but a timeline for his return to the sidelines has not been determined, the NBA team said on Wednesday.

Popovich, who at 75 is the oldest coach in NBA history, has missed the Spurs’ last six games with what the team had said was due to an undisclosed medical episode.

The Spurs said he suffered the stroke at the team’s arena.

“Popovich, who has already started a rehabilitation program, is expected to make a full recovery,” the Spurs said in a statement.

“At this point, a timeline for his return to the sidelines has not been determined. During this time, the organization is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family.”

Popovich is a three-time NBA coach of the year who led the Spurs to five championships and directed the U.S. men’s team to a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2023.

Popovich took over as Spurs coach in 1996 and turned them into one of the NBA’s most successful franchises, collecting more wins than any other coach in NBA history.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond)