It’s still unclear when he’ll be back on the bench, but longtime San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich released a statement thanking fans and the basketball world for their support after he suffered a stroke earlier this year.
Popovich suffered a mild stroke in the team’s arena on November 2, and he has been recovering since.
“It has certainly been an unexpected six weeks for my family and me,” he said in a statement Monday afternoon, marking his first comments since his stroke.
“As we work through my recovery together, I want to take a moment to share that the outpouring of support we have received during this time has truly been overwhelming in the best way possible. While I wish I could go back to each and every one of you, for now, let me just say that my family and I are forever grateful. We are grateful to our wonderful community, the entire Spurs organization and our family and friends.
The Spurs initially said Popovich was out due to an unspecified medical issue, although they confirmed he had a stroke nearly two weeks later. Popovich is expected to make a full recovery.
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson is leading the Spurs in his absence. The team currently holds a 13-13 record heading into Thursday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Spurs are 11-10 without Popovich, although they have lost four of their last six games.
Popovich, 75, is now in his 29th season as head coach of the Spurs, making him the longest-tenured head coach in the league. He leads the NBA with 1,391 career regular season victories, and he has another 170 playoff victories with five championships to his credit, most recently in 2014.
Neither the Spurs nor Popovich have said when he might return. But by the sound of it and knowing his personality, Popovich is more than ready.
“No one is more excited to see me back on the bench than the talented people who have led my rehab process,” Popovich said. “They quickly understood that I am far from coachable.”
