Gregg Popovich refuses to discuss return after Spurs eliminated

“That question is inappropriate.”

That was Gregg Popovich’s response when asked if he planned to return as the Spurs head coach next season following his team’s elimination from the playoffs. The topic was off the table.

It’s also the topic of a lot of speculation around the NBA. At age 73 — and now the winningest coach in NBA history, plus having coached Team USA to a gold medal — does Popovich want to return and put himself through the grind again? The NBA’s chattering class has been speculating on who is next in the Spurs’ big chair, but only Popovich gets to decide when Popovich will retire — and he may not know the answer right now. The only thing that is certain in all of this is the Spurs are not going to force Popovich out. He can coach the franchise as long as he wants.

Popovich has seemed energized this season, getting to really coach again and focus on player development with the youngest team he has ever had. People close to the Spurs read those tea leaves to say he probably comes back — Popovich was in his element again.

San Antonio's Lonnie Walker said just now that the Spurs, presumably at Gregg Popovich's behest, watched three film clips AFTER their season-ending loss tonight at New Orleans.

More NBA from me: https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq https://t.co/e3WOrjo0vG

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 14, 2022

Ultimately, however, only Popovich knows if he will return next season — and even he may not know. He may choose to sit down in a few days with a good bottle of pinot noir and think about what he really wants to do and where he wants to put his energies. It’s his call.

And he was not discussing it after the Spurs’ loss to the Pelicans.