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Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich
The Spurs’ 102-86 win over the Philadelphia 76ers will be remembered as a bit of Gregg Popovich trivia, and not much more.
An ugly game bordering on downright unwatchable at times, Popovich’s team nevertheless secured for him career win No. 1,127. All have come with the Spurs.
RELATED: Pop talks race: “If you were born white, you automatically have a monstrous advantage”
The victory pulled Popovich into a tie with former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan for most wins with a single franchise.
Never known as a chest-thumping braggart, Popovich quickly dismissed the notion of the two coaching legends as equals.
“He’s in a different league than me,” Popovich said of Sloan, who coached Utah from 1988 to 2011 and won consecutive Western titles in 1997 and 1998.
“It was then and still is a class organization, and we tried to do it similarly to them as far as how we conducted the program, what we expected, how to do it, how to keep it to yourself and that sort of thing,” Popovich said. “But when you get all those wins it’s just a longevity thing more than anything. So I’m thankful for having the job for a while.”
Popovich is seventh on the NBA’s all-time wins list, 28 games behind former Bulls and Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
RELATED: Spurs overcome slow start, pull away from Sixers
The Spurs play Denver on Saturday at the AT&T Center before embarking on their annual Rodeo Road Trip. If his team falls, Popovich will likely break the record on the road – the Spurs’ next eight games after all away.
Most career coaching wins with one franchise
Gregg Popovich (SPURS) – 1,127
Jerry Sloan (Jazz) – 1,127
Red Auerbach (Celtics) – 795
nmoyle@express-news.net
Twitter: @NRmoyle
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