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Jazz HC Will Hardy Sounds Off on Gregg Popovich's Future in the NBA
When discussing the greatest coaches the NBA has ever seen pick up a clipboard, it is impossible to leave out the prestigious Gregg Popovich, longtime head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. For the past 28 seasons, the Spurs have been under the leadership of Pop en route to becoming one of the best franchises in league history.
However, since turning 75 years old this past January, it effectively allows many to question what the future holds for such a historic league figure. With each passing summer, nothing stops Popovich from calling it a career and riding into the sunset. There is simply not much more for him to prove after securing five rings in 16 years.
Still, when asking Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy, he puts nothing past Popovich and what is soon to come for his coaching career.
According to Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News, Hardy said he would not bet against the Spurs head coach finishing out his five-year contract extension he signed this past summer.
“Pop is an animal," Hardy said. "There are few people on this planet I would doubt, and he is one of them. His energy every day, his competitiveness every day, is not something I would bet against.”
Popovich signed the lengthy extension after the Spurs secured the first-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Considering the five-time champion coach got his hands on such a prestigious and high-ceiling player like Wembanyama, it would certainly not be a shock to see him complete an extra five on top of his extensive previous service.
Hardy spent his early coaching days alongside Popovich as an assistant from 2016 to 2021 before transitioning to an assistant with the Boston Celtics. It's not a shock to see a bode of confidence from Hardy, knowing their extensive history together.
Only time will tell how much longer Popovich has in this league, but even after the bumpy season San Antonio has had this year, he's not showing any signs of quitting just yet.
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JARED KOCH
Jared Koch is the Associate Editor of The Frozen Rope — SI.com's team website covering the Utah Jazz. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, also being the Managing Editor of Inside The Kings — SI.com's team website covering the Sacramento Kings.