San Antonio Spurs Fans Will Love Kevin Durant’s Powerful Take on Coach Gregg Popovich

Apparently, prior to the game, Popovich gave both Durant and his Suns teammate Devin Booker a bottle of wine. Coach Pop has a history with the two, having coached them as part of Team USA that played and won gold in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

While speaking to reporters postgame, Durant reflected on Pop’s impact on the game of basketball, particularly in Texas. Popovich has been the Spurs’ head coach since 1996, while Durant played for the Texas Longhorns for one season back in the 2006-07 season.

“He means so much to me, the game of basketball, the state of Texas. Playing here in Austin, coming down to a lot of San Antonio games when I was in college, you see the impact that he has on everybody in this region,” Durant shared, via Paul Garcia of Project Spurs.

“[I’ve] Always admired him from afar, but when you get into the league and get around him, you see the type of guy that he is. Just a real human being. No fake side, no character with him. He’s just a real guy. And then, having the chance to play with him and win a gold medal, that took my respect to the next level. So, I want to always give him a hug and tell him I love him. We’re tied together forever with that gold medal. Just a standup man and a true friend. Somebody that I admire and respect so much.”

Durant’s remarks certainly speaks volumes of how great of a coach Popovich is. While he has a reputation for being strict and serious, the fact of the matter is he only holds his player to a high standard, and that’s only because he believes they can handle it and meet his expectations.

KD got a taste of that firsthand in the Olympics, and clearly, it stuck to him.

Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns Destroy Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs

While Kevin Durant has all the respect in the world for Gregg Popovich, it didn’t really stop him from dominating in their Saturday showdown.

Durant dropped 25 points on top of four rebounds and four assists while shooting 12-of-16 from the field. Devin Booker top-scored for Phoenix with 32 points, all while tallying seven rebounds and nine assists.

The Suns led from start to finish, going up by as much as 32 points before settling for the 131-106 victory.

Victor Wembanyama was slowed down by the Suns and recorded just 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and one block. None from San Antonio also scored more than 20 points, with their top scorer being Keldon Johnson with 14.

Regardless, the Spurs will have a chance to quickly take their revenge when they meet the Suns again on Monday. Sure enough, Coach Pop will also want to show KD and Phoenix what they can do as they look to win the season series.