San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has built a legendary coaching career in large part thanks to Hall of Fame big men David Robinson and Tim Duncan. He may have his third great big man after the Spurs won the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery.
The Spurs finished the 2022-23 season with a 22-60 record, which was the second-worst in the NBA behind the Detroit Pistons. This put them in a prime position to potentially land French viral sensation Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio has rarely found itself in a position to be in the NBA Lottery over the years. Popovich has just four losing seasons in his historic coaching career, all of which came in the past four years.
They received a great sign early in the lottery on Tuesday night when the Pistons shockingly fell out of the top 4, instead receiving the No. 5 overall pick.
Ben Wallace does not seem pleased with the 17-win Pistons falling to the fifth pick… pic.twitter.com/6x0kzOrCgq
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 17, 2023
When this happened the Spurs became the favorites to get the No. 1 pick. Luckily for Popovich and company, they did indeed win the lottery and get the top overall pick.
Victor Wembanyama, welcome to San Antonio! pic.twitter.com/hRKKbQfSV3
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 17, 2023
Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite to be the top overall selection in the upcoming draft. Given Popovich’s excellence at developing talented big men, many see this as an ideal landing spot for the seven-foot-three star.
Gregg Popovich landing Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, and Victor Wembanyama is like hitting the coaching lottery. https://t.co/1d8jPAONmw
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) May 17, 2023
Gregg Popovich will coach David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama across 5 different decades. pic.twitter.com/8PtycYO8FW
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 17, 2023
Newly released footage of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich heading to sign a contract extension
pic.twitter.com/2lg9lQvbyK — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 17, 2023
gregg popovich after winning the wemby sweepstakes: pic.twitter.com/BPALY0FPNQ
— alex (@steven_lebron) May 17, 2023
Gregg Popovich after landing Victor Wembanyama: pic.twitter.com/iLC1jWidkl
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) May 17, 2023
Gregg Popovich suddenly realizing he wants to coach another 20 years. pic.twitter.com/UuwDuF2tZk
— InsideHoops (@InsideHoops) May 17, 2023
Popovich discussed the possibility of winning the draft lottery on Monday, where he hilariously said that the Spurs don’t deserve any more luck in the NBA Draft Lottery.
“We deserve no more luck ever in the history of NBA basketball,” Popovich told Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News via a tweet from Legion Hoops.
Gregg Popovich believes the rest of NBA won't empathize with Spurs if they fail to secure No. 1 pick:
"We deserve no more luck ever in the history of NBA basketball.”
(via @tom_orsborn, https://t.co/9yBSrHeSLP) pic.twitter.com/jlYeF44O08
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 16, 2023
Popovich clearly knows that he was lucky enough to be able to draft David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Regardless, the NBA gods have yet again given him a gift to be able to coach the next No. 1 overall pick.
[Awful Announcing on Twitter] Photo Credit: ESPN
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.