With Gregg Popovich away from the San Antonio Spurs due to a minor medical issue Wednesday, assistant coach Ettore Messina is set to make NBA history.
Messina will take over the reigns as the team's head coach, becoming the first person born outside of North America to ever serve as head coach for an NBA game. Messina accomplished a watered-down version of that feat in a preseason game on Oct. 16, but this is obviously a more monumental occasion.
"It's not what you want, but the good thing is that obviously it's nothing bir or you would not see me here so relaxed," Messina said of the opportunity.
Born in Italy, Messina is something of an international coaching legend. He's won four Euroleague titles, four Italian League championships, seven Italian Cups, five Russian League championships, two Russian Cups and a EuroBasket silver medal. He spent time in 2011-12 as a consultant for the Los Angeles Lakers and signed on with the Spurs as an assistant this summer.
"I am terribly scared," Messina said of his debut. "I am average scared. Not scared at all. You pick."
That's a quote right from the Popovich handbook. No word if he plans to rest all of the Spurs' top players as a means of appeasing Popovich, too.
