09 July 2023 , 12:04
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Five-time NBA champion head coach Gregg Popovic has signed a new contract with the San Antonio Spurs as the organisation builds around number-one overall pick Victor Wembanyama.
The 74-year-old has penned a five-year deal with the Spurs, who are optimistic about their future after landing the first pick in the draft lottery and selecting French sensation Wembanyama, perhaps the most-hyped prospect since LeBron James entered the league 20 years ago.
"The San Antonio Spurs today announced that president of basketball operations and head coach Gregg Popovich has signed a five-year contract. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not released." a spokesman said.
Popovic has been in charge of the Spurs for 27 years and he is the oldest coach in the league by nine years, but his incredible resume speaks for itself with five NBA titles and three Coach of the Year accolades to his name. He also led the United States to Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021.
ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reports Popovic's deal is worth more than $80million (£62m), surpassing the league-leading $78.5m (£61m), six-year deal the Detroit Pistons have to Monty Williams earlier in the off-season.
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After a difficult first year in the job, Popovic led the Spurs to 22 straight playoff appearances before his first losing season in 2019/20 and the franchise has failed to make the post-season in the three seasons since.
Popovic's last championship success came nine years ago, but the Spurs still believe he is the right man to lead a young roster that will be headed by Wembanyama, who made his NBA Summer League debut in Las Vegas on Friday night.
Kai Jones threw down a huge dunk over Victor Wembanyama in his Summer League debut. (Candice Ward/Getty Images)It was a struggle for the 7ft 4in Frenchman, who went 2-13 from the field in the Spurs' win over the Charlotte Hornets at Thomas & Mack Center. There were also a couple of uncomfortable moments for Wembanyama, who was left on the deck by a double move from number-two overall pick Brandon Miller before being dunked on by Kai Jones in front of a capacity crowd.
Despite a shaky start from the 19-year-old, he is expected to transform the fortunes of the franchise in the coming years with his diverse skill set and impressive shooting range for a man of his height.
He was delighted to represent his new team for the first time on Friday, although he recognises he has plenty of work to do to prepare for the NBA season when it gets underway in October.
"Special moment," he said. "Really special to wear that jersey for the first time. It was a real honour and I'm really glad we won this game. There's no better way to start for a premiere.
"Honestly, I don't really know what I was doing on the court tonight, but I'm trying to be ready for the next games and the important (thing) is to be ready for the season. The biggest thing I've got to do is be ready to react to the plays that are called by the point guard and stay connected.
"I think there is a lot of conditioning to do to play in an 82-game season, especially with the play style. We run a lot and it is really exhausting and even though it was only 40 minutes tonight, when I was subbed out I was tired and exhausted so I think there is a lot of conditioning to do."