Popovich holds special affection for Wade
SAN ANTONIO — Gregg Popovich is familiar with farewells, just not necessarily with farewell tours.
Unlike Dwyane Wade’s announcement in advance that this would be his final season, Popovich found himself guiding Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili unaware that they eventually would decide to call it quits. By contrast, David Robinson’s final season with the San Antonio Spurs came with advance notice and the tearful finality of a championship celebration.
“I didn’t have anything to do with it,” Popovich said of the emotions of coaching a Hall of Famelevel player through a final season. “I never had any discussion with any player if they’re going to have a tour, not have a tour. It was of no interest to me.”
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate the emotions of the moment.
“Absolutely,” he said before his team faced Wade and the Heat in Sunday’s preseason opener at the AT&T Center. “Sad’s not a bad word. You miss those kind of guys. They don’t have to be on your team.
“Watching him over the years, it’s just a wonderful experience to be able to be there. And we have frontrow seats to watch these guys. Sure, a little piece goes away. And it sort of reminds you that you’re going to take a little hike soon, also. Nobody stays forever.”
Popovich worked with Wade as an assistant coach with the 2004 U.S. Olympic team.
“One never knows exactly what the limits are for each individual,” he said. “But from the very beginning you could tell he was serious, he was competitive. He soaked things up and understood everything. Those were all good signs. You knew he was going to be something special.”
Asked if it was surprising that he had outlasted so many players, Popovich smiled.
“I don’t have to use my legs the way they do,” he said. “I just sit there.”
Heat assist: With Popovich to take over for Mike Krzyzewski as national-team coach, he hosted several NBA assistant coaches during a USA Basketball camp in July, including Heat assistant Dan Craig.
“Number one, it was an education for me,” he said of working with one of Erik Spoelstra’s lead assistants. “Number two, it was a lot of fun. Dan was great. We just kind of formed a little team. We’d have a meeting and all throw out ideas and come up with whoever’s ideas seemed to make the most sense. He was delightful, humorous and very sharp on the court.”
The other side: Yes, that is DeMar DeRozan in a Spurs uniform, part of the offseason deal that sent Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors.
“He’s a great basketball player,” Spoelstra said. “I think maybe just because of his personality that he’s gone under the radar a little bit, not in the Eastern Conference because he’s always an All-Star and because of the USA Basketball program, but when you define consistency, it’s about what you do every single night and he’s the epitome of that. And from what I’ve heard, he’s a terrific teammate. That’s why everybody in Toronto had such an affection for him.”