Cleveland – Seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry has played for some of the league’s most successful coaches – Phil Jackson, Rudy Tomjanovich and Del Harris. Horry also was coached by one of the collegiate greats, Wimp Sanderson at Alabama.
But if Horry had to pick one to roam the sideline for a team, he would select his current leader with the San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich.
“Pop is the best coach I’ve ever played for,” Horry said Thursday night after the Spurs won their four title since 1999 under Popovich.
Popovich, a former Air Force Academy star, joined an elite coaching class by becoming one of only five coaches who have won at least four championships. That list includes Jackson (nine), Red Auerbach (nine), John Kundla (five) and Pat Riley (five). Popovich’s 92 career playoff victories rank fifth on the all-time list.
“Each championship has a personality of its own,” Popovich said.
Popovich’s personality has played a major role in his coaching success.
Popovich, who has a master’s degree from the University of Denver, is a no-nonsense coach who treats everyone from superstar Tim Duncan to seldom-used rookie James White the same, using his tough-love discipline.
Popovich’s defensive principles molded the Spurs into the NBA’s best defensive team in the regular season and caused their playoff foes – the Nuggets, Phoenix, Utah and Cleveland – to average fewer than 100 points combined in their postseason games.
Two of his disciples also have coached their teams to the Finals, Mike Brown of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Avery Johnson of the Dallas Mavericks. He has created a family atmosphere with the Spurs, and it’s not out of the ordinary to see him breaking bread with players off the court.
“The one thing I love about Pop is that he treats everybody the same,” Horry said. “He doesn’t carry grudges. A lot of coaches in the league now, they get mad and they carry it over to the next day, but Pop will let it go and will laugh and joke and buy dinner the next day.”
Said Duncan: “He’s the one that stays on us no matter how well or how badly we are playing. He finds the right way to approach us. I can say no more than he defines the team. He always has, and as long as he’s here he always will.”
Spurs guard Tony Parker recalled Popovich being initially disappointed and questioning Parker’s toughness during his first workout for the franchise in 2001.
The Frenchman, however, came back to please Popovich during a second workout in which he stood up to very physical play. The Spurs ended up drafting Parker with the 28th pick in the 2001 draft.
Popovich constantly challenges Parker. Confident that Popovich was just trying to make him a better player, Parker used his coach’s demands to evolve into a three-time NBA champion, an all-star and a Finals MVP.
“Pop always pushed me, even if I was lazy or nonchalant at practice,” Parker said. “He always pushed me and pushed me. Today I am the Finals MVP. I can definitely give a lot of credit to Coach Pop because I would never be here without him.”
Staff writer Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-954-1098 or mspears@denverpost.com.
