LaMarcus Aldridge

Spurs' Gregg Popovich to retire when Tim Duncan does? Not so fast

Published Sep. 30, 2015 2:14 p.m. ET

foxsports

It's always sort of been the belief that San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich would retire from the NBA when Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker left the game.

But that may not be the case. Here's what Popovich had to say about his future on San Antonio's sideline:

In an interview with Sage Steele of ESPN, Popovich was asked about the end being near for this great Spurs team, and if he will keep coaching when they are done. While he doesn't come out and say it explicitly, he does confirm that he has made the promise to keep coaching. "Signing LaMarcus [Aldridge], I had to make a commitment," Popovich said with a hesitation and a smile. "I couldn't say, 'LaMarcus, we would love to sign you, see you later.' So I committed to those guys, and I committed to LaMarcus. So, I've got to fulfill my promise."

Walking away from LaMarcus Aldridge would be difficult, but what about Kawhi Freaking Leonard? He's only 24 years old! The Spurs are set to contend for a very long time, and it'd be sad if Popovich left before Leonard's prime was through (at the very least).

So it's settled then, right? As long as the Spurs keep adding awesome players through the draft or free agency, Pop can never go away. We've discovered the secret to keeping him around forever. And for that, apologies are probably due to sideline reporters the world over.

(h/t: Business Insider)

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LaMarcus Aldridge

San Antonio Spurs

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