The San Antonio Spurs saw their foundation start to break down, when Tim Duncan retired in 2016 after 19 NBA seasons. Two years later, Tony Parker departed for the Charlotte Hornets and was followed out the door by Manu Ginobili, who announced his retirement Monday.
The “Big 3” era was always captained by head coach Gregg Popovich, who’s the last man standing in San Antonio. No franchise players remain as the 2018-19 season approaches, with Patty Mills and LaMarcus Aldridge among the longest tenured players.
How much longer will Popovich stick around? Marc Stein of The New York Times speculated on The Jim Rome Show that Popovich could stay through his Spurs contract, coach Team USA and call it a career.