LeBron James, Steve Nash recall the effect San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s presence had during a game: “You're already mentally drained before you even get into it”

Los Angeles Lakers power forward LeBron James and NBA legend Steve Nash, widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time, recently shared how the mere presence of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich near the court was enough to put pressure on them. Known for his strict, military-style coaching approach, Popovich is the longest-serving coach in the NBA—and across all major sports leagues in the U.S. His leadership made the Spurs one of the most disciplined teams in the league, focused on results over showoff.
LeBron James and Steve Nash reflected on their experiences facing Gregg Popovich and the Spurs during a conversation on the Mind The Game show. Nash said, "Was Pop a spy in the military? I'm serious. He spoke Russian. He came from the Air Force Academy. I think he was on his way to being an agent for the United States government—and you're trying to win a basketball game against him? I always felt like there was a little bit of a disadvantage, or a hill we were trying to climb, just Pop himself."
He went on to describe just how intimidating it felt when Coach Pop was on the sidelines during a game. "You can sense it. Like okay, I have to guard Tony, Manu, Timmy... and then maybe, maybe they look a little tired in this quarter, maybe. And then you look to the sideline—and you got Pop over there. And he's like… he's like on the floor as well—but standing on the sideline," Nash added.

LeBron, who famously defeated the Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals, echoed Nash’s sentiments, revealing how psychologically exhausting it was to play against them. "You know when you come into a series against a Gregg Popovich team—or a Bill Belichick football team—you know you have to beat them. They're not going to beat themselves. You know that. So you're already mentally drained before you even get into it. It's like, you start to put more pressure on yourself, saying, 'We've got to play perfect basketball'—which is impossible. But you put that extra pressure on you because you know they're not going to beat themselves."
Coach Pop, as he is affectionately known, played college basketball for the Air Force Falcons at the United States Air Force Academy. He underwent extensive training in Air Force intelligence and could have even joined the CIA before ultimately choosing a career in basketball. He took over as head coach of the Spurs in 1996 and has remained in that role ever since.
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Coach Pop is famous for his powerful presence near the court. There’s even a parody account in his name. He suffered a mild stroke in November last year and has been out for the season. Mitch Johnson has taken his place as head coach of San Antonio Spurs.