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Gregg Popovich, the long-time coach of the San Antonio Spurs NBA team, belongs to a group of American sports industry legends. In March 2022, he became the winningest coach in the NBA’s regular-season history, recording his 1,336th victory (Associated Press, 2022). Popovich’s contribution to the Spurs’ success is immense — together, the coach and his team won five NBA championships and thirteen division titles. From 2000 to 2017, the Spurs posted eighteen consecutive seasons with fifty or more regular season wins (Associated Press, 2022). This level of consistency is almost unfathomable in such a competitive league as the NBA. Decades have passed, and generations of players have started their careers and retired, yet the Spurs almost always showed decent results and stayed in contention for the championship. This success story became possible due to Gregg Popovich’s incredible leadership manifested in three essential traits: influence, attitude, and willingness to serve the people around him.
Most importantly, a truly great leader influences his followers, inspiring them to perform at the limit of their abilities. Maxwell (2018) created a model of influence development based on the primary reason for following a leader. The entry-level, or Level 1 leadership depends on position — people follow a leader only due to their official status. In contrast, the Level 5 pinnacle leadership is based on respect, as people follow the leader due to their outstanding personality (Maxwell, 2018). In this regard, one can claim that Gregg Popovich achieved the level of pinnacle leadership, which can be seen in his players’ words. For instance, Tony Parker, who won four NBA titles over seventeen seasons with the Spurs, called Popovich “a second father” of his career (Youngmisuk, 2022). Manu Ginobili remembered how he could discuss everything with his coach — from politics and war to basketball and kids (Youngmisuk, 2022). In these examples, one can see how Gregg Popovich earned universal respect and became a powerful influencer within the Spurs.
Secondly, a leader must demonstrate a certain attitude, a set of characteristics that qualify them as a person worthy of following. According to Maxwell (2018), the most important attitude of a leader is a whatever-it-takes mindset. This determination allows a leader to achieve success where others merely dream (Maxwell, 2018). Gregg Popovich’s biography shows that he possesses the whatever-it-takes mentality. For example, in 1979, Popovich took the struggling Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens university team and personally made hundreds of phone calls to find promising players from the local high schools (Boudway, 2018). Popovich kept this uncompromising attitude at the Spurs — he has become famous for his fits of anger on the basketball court. However, the players did not complain, as they felt Popovich’s anger stemmed from the desire to win (Boudway, 2018). Outside of the court, Popovich turns into a humble and likable person. After posting a record-breaking 1,336th regular season win, he said: “All of us share in this record. It’s not mine. It’s ours, here in the city” (Associated Press, 2022). Overall, Gregg Popovich is a determined, demanding, yet fair leader who works hard and expects a similar attitude from his players.
Finally, a true leader uses his position and power to serve the people instead of enjoying themselves. In particular, a servant leader adds value to others and helps people around them succeed (Maxwell, 2018). From the basketball perspective, Gregg Popovich did his best to help his players — Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, David Robinson, and many others, become NBA stars and multiple-time champions. However, his servant leadership stretches beyond the sports industry, as Popovich uses his fame and influence in San Antonio to assist local humanitarian organizations. For example, he serves as a volunteer, advisory board member, spokesman, and fundraiser for the San Antonio Food Bank, an organization that battles childhood hunger in the city (Martinez, 2020). According to Eric Cooper, the organization’s CEO and president, Gregg Popovich does everything — from leading fundraising campaigns to delivering food to the people of San Antonio (Martinez, 2020). Moreover, he encourages Spurs players to serve the community and meet with San Antonio residents (Martinez, 2020). In this regard, Popovich shows the people that the Spurs’ roster does not consist of arrogant mercenaries who play only for money and fame.
Considering these facts, one can conclude that Gregg Popovich is an exceptional leader. His influence over the Spurs’ players and staff is immense and based on respect rather than position or achievements. When it comes to basketball, Popovich demonstrates the whatever-it-takes attitude — he works hard, pursues excellence, and expects the same ethic from his team. However, he leaves this uncompromising attitude on the court once the game ends and shares victories and defeats with his players. Popovich is not arrogant — he praises the players, the staff, and the fans for his success. Finally, Gregg Popovich strives to improve people’s lives in San Antonio, thus showing the signs of servant leadership. Given the longevity, consistency, and success of the Popovich-Spurs duo, Gregg Popovich can be considered one of the most remarkable leaders in U.S sports history.
References
Associated Press. (2022). Spurs’ Gregg Popovich breaks NBA record with 1,336th win as a coach. Sportsnet.
Boudway, I. (2018). The five pillars of Popovich. Bloomberg. Web.
Martinez, K. (2020). How coach Gregg Popovich’s impact goes beyond basketball. San Antonio Magazine. Web.
Maxwell, J. C. (2018). Developing the leader within you 2.0. Nashville, TN: Harper Collins Leadership.
Youngmisuk, O. (2022). Gregg Popovich, an NBA legend: Stories you’ve never heard about the San Antonio Spurs, team USA coach. ESPN.
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