The narrative is almost perfect: 15 years after winning their first title together, Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan walk into the sunset with their fifth ring as a tag team after the 2014 NBA Finals.
Nobody really wants to see them go, but knowing the ends of their careers are probably close leaves some wanting a storybook ending to wrap things up. While Duncan is "not saying anything" about his own retirement ahead of a June 24 opt-in date on his contract for the 2014-15 season, Popovich expressed a desire to keep coaching beyond this season on Saturday.
As Popovich told NBC Sports:
I don’t feel tired. I mean, I’m tired today, but I mean in general. I’d like to continue to coach.
...
Sure. I didn’t think I was going to have to answer those kind of questions today.
Popovich is now 65 years old, hardly too old to continue coaching. The Spurs' dominance in games 3 and 4 of the finals, in year 17 of an incredible new-age dynasty, speaks to how he's still among the game's elite.
He has three NBA Coach of the Year awards, four NBA titles (with likely a fifth on the way), and is third all-time in coach winning percentage among those with at least 240 games.
So, it's completely conceivable that Popovich will continue on for a few more seasons, and continue to be very, very good at it.
Would that include bringing aboard a successor to groom for when he eventually retires?
I don’t think about legacy very often or at all, I guess. But if something like that happened or was available, we’d do it, but we haven’t really discussed it.
So it sounds like Popovich will be on the sidelines a little longer. If it's not with Duncan, he still has a pretty solid core in Parker, Ginobili and heir apparent Kawhi Leonard.
