Doc Rivers believes there is a sad layer to the San Antonio Spurs’ new era that goes beyond wins, losses or even the NBA Finals.
Rivers, speaking on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” (abouty 47 minutes in) said Gregg Popovich landing Victor Wembanyama should have felt like one more basketball jackpot for the Hall of Fame coach. Instead, Popovich’s health and transition away from coaching prevented him from fully experiencing what could have been his next great Spurs chapter.
“I love Pop,” Rivers said on the podcast. “This is where it bothers me the most. Not bothers me, because I love Mitch (Johnson). Pop probably was thinking about retiring, right? And then he was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I got this guy. I hit the jackpot again.’ And then it kind of gets taken away from him. That’s really sad to me.”
Rivers was careful not to turn the comment into a criticism of Mitch Johnson, who replaced Popovich as San Antonio’s head coach. His point was more personal: coaches rarely get to pair themselves with a generational player at the beginning of a potential title window. Popovich had already lived that with Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard. Wembanyama gave him the possibility of doing it again.
That is what made Rivers’ tone turn somber.
Doc Rivers Says Popovich Had Another Spurs ‘Jackpot’
Rivers brought up Popovich while discussing how rare it is for a coach to get repeated championship chances with a young superstar who can anchor a franchise for years.
He listed Phil Jackson, Steve Kerr and Popovich as examples of coaches who had that kind of run. Popovich’s case, Rivers argued, was already unusual because of how long Duncan allowed the Spurs to remain in the title mix across different supporting casts.
Then Wembanyama arrived.
The Spurs won the 2023 draft lottery, selected Wembanyama No. 1 and suddenly had a new franchise centerpiece with the kind of ceiling that changes organizational expectations. For Popovich, it looked like a final gift: one more chance to coach a player who could define an NBA era.
Rivers’ point was not that Johnson is the wrong coach for Wembanyama. In fact, Rivers specifically noted that he loves Johnson, too. The sadness, in his view, comes from Popovich being close enough to see the next Spurs era begin but unable to stay on the bench for it.
Popovich suffered a stroke in November 2024, and Johnson took over as acting head coach. In May 2025, Popovich stepped away from coaching and transitioned into his role as the Spurs’ president of basketball operations, while Johnson became the team’s permanent head coach.
At Johnson’s introductory press conference, Popovich said the change was necessary because his recovery was improving but “not good enough for what we plan ahead.”
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The Spurs have worked hard to frame the transition as continuity, not separation.
Johnson had been with the organization for years before taking over, and Popovich remained in the front office rather than leaving the franchise entirely. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported at the time that Johnson had strong support from Spurs officials and players, and Popovich’s move allowed San Antonio to preserve its organizational structure while acknowledging the demands of coaching were no longer realistic for him.
That matters because Wembanyama’s rise is not just about one player. It is about whether San Antonio can recreate the stability that helped make the Duncan-era Spurs one of the league’s model franchises.
Popovich won five NBA championships in San Antonio and helped shape the careers of Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard. The idea that he had one more all-time prospect land in his lap is what made Rivers pause.
For Spurs fans, that is the emotional tension of this run. The franchise is not starting over from scratch. Popovich is still part of it. His culture is still part of it. Johnson is, in many ways, a Popovich-trained successor.
But it is no longer Popovich on the sideline during the most important Wembanyama games.
Wembanyama Makes Popovich’s Exit Feel Different
Rivers’ comment lands because Wembanyama is not a normal young star.
He is the kind of player who can accelerate timelines, change roster-building priorities and put a team into championship conversations earlier than expected. That is why Popovich’s exit feels different than a standard retirement story. Had the Spurs still been rebuilding without a clear superstar, the transition might have felt cleaner.
Instead, Wembanyama gave San Antonio a new beginning right as Popovich’s coaching career reached its end.
That does not make the Spurs’ future bleak. Johnson has the job, Popovich remains influential and San Antonio still has the centerpiece every franchise wants. But Rivers captured why the situation feels bittersweet: Popovich spent years waiting for the Spurs’ next great era, and when it finally arrived, he could only guide it from a different seat.
For a coach defined by longevity, timing and relationships, that is the part Rivers could not shake.
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