OAKLAND — Last Wednesday, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich’s wife, Erin, died after a long battle with a respiratory illness.
The news was announced one day before the Spurs and Warriors played Game 3 in their opening-round series in San Antonio. Popovich didn’t coach in any of the following three games of the series, including Golden State’s 99-91 win Tuesday night to advance to the second round.
The report of Erin’s death shook the entire NBA, with players and coaches around the league sending their condolences to Popovich, one of the most respected, iconic figures in the sport.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has long ties to the San Antonio organization. He played four of his final five career seasons with the Spurs, where he won two NBA Championships under Popovich and alongside current Spurs guard Manu Ginobili. Kerr’s son, Nick, is now a video assistant for the Spurs.
After defeating San Antonio in Game 5 of the first round Tuesday night, Kerr paid homage to his coach.
“Pop, if you are watching out there, we love you,” Kerr said postgame. “Our whole team and coaching staff has been thinking about you every day. Your team reflected who you are tonight.”
Warriors players reiterated that sentiment shortly after Kerr.
“I want to say to the Spurs organization, congratulations,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said postgame. “What they were going through the last week is awful. I can’t imagine how hard it is to go out there and perform under those circumstances. Our hearts are with them, and we have nothing but respect for that team because they play the right way and they have great pride, and have been doing it for so long. Hats off to them.”
About 10 minutes after Thompson left the podium, Warriors forwards Draymond Green and Kevin Durant took the stage. Green prompted laughter throughout the room as he responded to TNT broadcaster Chris Webber’s remark that Green wouldn’t start on certain NBA teams. Then the Warriors power forward stood from his chair and turned serious.
“When I look at life, when somebody passes away, we tend to think we are there for one day or two days and we float away and think their problems go away,” Green said. “So, I just want to send my love to Pop and his family.”
Popovich’s wit, lightheartedness, and candor have endeared him to people everywhere. Since he became Spurs head coach during the 1996-97 season, he has turned around a struggling franchise into one of the most successful in all of sports. Popovich has led the Spurs to five NBA Championships in the past 19 years, including three titles from 2003-2007.
San Antonio’s type of free-flowing, all-inclusive style of basketball has filtered into other teams, including Golden State in recent years.
During the 2013 NBA Playoffs, a budding Warriors squad lost to a well-oiled Spurs team in the Western Conference Semifinals. Stephen Curry, Green, and Thompson were young stars on the rise. The Spurs went on to win their fifth NBA Championship one year later.
Golden State’s opening-series win Tuesday night continued a power shift in the league. As the Warriors launch on their own dynasty, San Antonio’s reign is seemingly fading away.
But the Spurs have influenced a Golden State team that mirrors them in many regards.
“It has meant a lot for us,” Green said. “Kind of watching what they were doing, going against them that first series in my first year and winning two games, it was a big deal at the time. We felt we should have won Game 3, but we didn’t. But it just gave us a lot of confidence to know, all right, we got something. And if we continue to get better, continue to grow together, we could possibly be them one day, or better. I think that’s kind of coming to fruition now.”
