San Antonio Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson is expected to serve as interim head coach for the near future.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is stepping away indefinitely after suffering a health issue, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday.
Popovich, 75, missed the Spurs' victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday with an undisclosed illness.
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson took over head coaching duties on Saturday and is expected to be the interim head coach until Popovich returns, Charania reported.
“He’s not feeling well,” Johnson said of Popovich on Saturday. “This has happened before. I think everybody’s just always got to be ready for the next man up. We’ve had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don’t feel well or things come up in life. He’s just not feeling well.”
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The Spurs said Monday that Popovich did not travel with the team for its upcoming games in Los Angeles and Houston.
Popovich is the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,390 regular season victories. He is in his 29th seasons as San Antonio's coach after taking over the role in 1996. The three-time NBA Coach of the Year has led the Spurs to five NBA championships.
