Gregg Popovich will not travel for the San Antonio Spurs’ upcoming games against the LA Clippers and Houston Rockets, the team announced Monday, as the coach is dealing with an undisclosed illness.
The Spurs are expected to name assistant Mitch Johnson their interim coach for an indefinite period in Popovich’s absence, according to ESPN, which reported that Popovich suffered a “health issue” ahead of Saturday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He missed that game with the illness and Johnson replaced him on the bench for the 113-103 win.
Spurs guard Chris Paul credited Johnson with doing a “great job” after the latest victory, saying, “Things happen within this league all the time and just like with the players, it’s next man. So, shoutout to Mitch, he did a great job tonight.”
Popovich, 75, is in his 29th season with the Spurs. The five-time NBA champion coach leads the league with 1,391 regular-season wins.
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