The Los Angeles Lakers are heading to Texas to face the San Antonio Spurs in their first Emirates NBA Cup game of the 2024-25 season. There, they’ll face the dominant Victor Wembanyama coming off of the first 50-point game of his career on Wednesday night. It will be plenty to deal with for Lakers star LeBron James.
But one San Antonio staple who won’t be in attendance for Friday’s NBA Cup action is head coach Gregg Popovich. This is Popovich’s 29th season at the helm of the Spurs. He has won three Coach of the Year awards and five NBA titles, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in league history.