Gregg Popovich is a part of NBA royalty forever.
The San Antonio Spurs coach secured his 1,336th career win on Friday night (11 March) to break the all-time record for career wins by a coach in NBA history.
The Spurs defeated the Utah Jazz by 104-102 in front of their home crowd, giving Spurs fans the chance to show their love and appreciation for one of the best coaches the game has ever seen.
Popovich, 73, is in his 26th season with the Spurs, the longest reigning head coach not just in the NBA, but across all of the big four sports leagues in the U.S. including the NFL, the NHL and MLB.
'Pop' led Team USA to a fourth consecutive gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, and has stepped away from national team duties since and been replaced by eight-time NBA champion and his former player Steve Kerr.
"It's just a testament to a whole lot of people," he said after the game.
"Something like this does not belong to one individual. Basketball's a team sport. You preach to your players that they have to do it together and that's certainly been the case in my life with all the wonderful players and coaches, the staff that I've been blessed with, the support of this wonderful city. The fans support us no matter what.
"All of us share in this record. It's not mine. It's ours, here in the city."
Don Nelson: "I'm so proud of you for doing it"
Popovich takes the record from Don Nelson, who spoke later in a video posted on the Spurs' Instagram, which begins "Hey Pop, it's your old buddy Nelly here!"
Nelson goes on to say how proud he is of the Spurs' coach "and all the wonderful things you've done for basketball, worldwide."
"I'm so proud of you for doing it," Nelson said. "I couldn't wait for this day to happen. And I just want you to know as one of my best friends in life I just wish you the best for your remaining years in the NBA."
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement:
"Gregg Popovich's success with the Spurs is unprecedented in our league so it's only fitting that he now holds the record for most career wins.
"His leadership and unwavering commitment to the game are widely admired by generations of players and coaches alike. Congratulations to Coach Pop on this latest achievement in his legendary career."
Breaking down the record
Popovich broke the long-time record held by Nelson but achieved it in 368 less games.
The five-time NBA champion has been the head coach of the Spurs since the 1996/97 season, and he was an assistant coach for the organisation stretching all the way back to the 1987/88 season.
His transformation of the franchise is nothing short of remarkable. The team's record in games he coached during his first season was 17-47, making them comfortably one of the worst teams in the league.
Since then, the Spurs have produced a winning season for 23 of the 26 seasons he has coached for a total win percentage of nearly 66 per cent; extraordinary consistency in the most competitive basketball league in the world. In honour of the NBA's 75th season, a selection was made for the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History, and, unsurprisingly, Popovich was on the list.
As illustrated in the table below, Popovich's record will be safe for a considerable amount of time. The only active coach in the league with more than 1,000 career wins is his former player, Doc Rivers.
Stars and stripes
Popovich's transformation of the Spurs earned him a place on the coaching staff of the Team USA men's basketball team as an assistant beginning in 2002.
The three-time NBA Coach of the Year was also an assistant on the team that won the bronze medal at Athens 2004.
The Air Force Academy graduate took over as head coach of the national team after Mike Krzyzewski led the team to a gold medal at Rio 2016.
After the team finished in seventh place at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, its lowest-ever finishing position in any international tournament, Popovich was able to right the ship once again.
Two years later at Tokyo 2020, he masterminded the team's run to a fourth consecutive gold medal. Team USA finished with a 5-1 record and defeated France 87-82 in the final, the same team that beat them in the opening game 83-76.
The man they call 'Pop' referred to the gold-medal victory as "the best feeling I've ever had in basketball."
And considering the record-breaking career he has had, that is quite the statement.