Popovich is the winningest head coach in NBA history. Along with having the most wins for any coach in league history, we are beginning to see another part of Popovich's legacy take shape. The four head coaches involved in the last two NBA Finals have a connection to coach Pop, having either been on his staff or played for him.
The NBA might have to consider changing the NBA Finals to the PopovichInvitational if the trend continues. Ime Udoka was a coach for Popovich in San Antonio. Udoka spent most of his time on the sideline with Pop. He played for the Spurs for three of his four years in the NBA.
Steve Kerr was a player for Pop in San Antonio. Kerr won two titles in San Antonio. Kerr's playing days under Pop greatly affected his coaching style with Golden State. The Warriors run a motion offense where everyone touches the ball.
He would become the fifth coach in the modern era to win a title in his first season if Udoka and Boston beat Golden State. Udoka would join Paul Westhead, Pat Riley, Steve Kerr, and Tyronn Lue.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns played in the Finals last year and it was influenced by Popovich. Mike Budenholzer has been the most successful coach so far. Budenholzer was the coach of the Atlanta Hawks when they made the Eastern Conference Finals.
Monty Williams is the head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Williams was a player for San Antonio during Pop's time as head coach. After his playing days were over, he was a coaching intern for the Spurs.
At one time, the head coach of the Memphis Grizzles was an intern on the team. After working for Budenholzer in Milwaukee, he became an assistant to the coach in Memphis.
Popovich has a coaching influence on the WNBA. After eight years as a coach in San Antonio, she took her first head coaching job in the NBA in Las Vegas. Popovich could have another former assistant playing for a championship soon, as the Aces are off to a 9-1 start.
The coach of the month was named by the Aces because of their hot start.
When a coach is as successful as Popovich, his or her legacy is felt for years to come. The Spurs had a run of 22 years under Pop where they didn't miss the playoffs. They won five titles over that time and played in six Finals, which is the longest streak in NBA history. The Spurs made it to the conference finals in 10 of the 22 seasons.
I have always thought of San Antonio as the New England Celtics of the NBA. There are many similarities between these franchises. Both teams dominated for two decades. The Spurs won five Larry O Brien trophies while the Pats won six.
Both had great franchise players in Tom Brady and Tim Duncan. Both organizations are led by no-nonsense coaches. Both coaches have had their assistants move on. Their dynasties were similar in their sports. It's difficult to see that much success and not call it a dynasty.
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