NBA Rumors: San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich Takes Dig vs Cleveland Cavaliers; Tim Duncan's Coach Mocks LeBron James

By Mitch de Leon
Gregg Popovich
Gasol would shine under Popovich. Fox Sports

The departure of David Blatt from the Cleveland Cavaliers sparked outrage not only within the NBA community but also across the world. Apart from the basketball team itself, supporters of the former head coach criticized LeBron James. Moreover, the coaches all over the NBA ridiculed the decision to fire Blatt following the Kyrie Irving squad's defeat to the Golden State Warriors.

One of the coaches who reportedly took a shot at the Cleveland Cavaliers' decision regarding Blatt is Gregg Popovich. The recent face-off of the San Antonio Spurs against the Golden State Warriors saw Klay Thompson's team rip apart the LaMarcus Aldridge squad with a blowout win of 120-90. Following the disappointing match, reporters sought Popovich for comment.

"Popovich: "I'm glad my general manager wasn't in my locker room or I might've gotten fired," disclosed Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports of the San Antonio Spurs' head coach's comment after the game. Presumably, Popovich is taking aim at the move of the Cleveland Cavaliers to get rid of Blatt after suffering the same fate in the hands of the Stephen Curry team.

The San Antonio Spurs head coach has been with the Manu Ginobili team since 1994 following a brief stint with the Golden State Warriors. He officially took over as coach in 1996 and is known as the longest-ever tenured coach in the NBA. His career with the San Antonio Spurs has brought the team five NBA championship trophies.

Popovich is recently announced as the head coach of the Western Conference All-Star players. The San Antonio Spurs head coach was chosen over Luke Walton and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors.

"Well, everybody looks forward to the All-Star break for a variety of reasons," said Popovich following the announcement, according to ESPN. "But in my case, it's a pretty awesome feeling to know that you're going to be in the locker room with some of the best athletes in the world, and it's pretty humbling. So it's kind of cool."

The Western Conference NBA All-Star team starters include Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs. Both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder are part of the lineup as well. Rounding up the starting players is reigning NBA MVP Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

Apart from making light of the Cleveland Cavaliers' move to fire Blatt, Popovich also commented on the latest issue involving the Los Angeles Clippers. It was earlier reported that Blake Griffin broke his hand following an altercation with a member of the team's staff. This incurred an investigation from the NBA and the Los Angeles Clippers, which will determine the punishment for both parties involved.

As the San Antonio Spurs have been known for their squeaky clean record, Popovich poked fun at their "boring" roster.

He said via AP, "I'm a little tired of that. I'm looking for some people...We are going to start asking people to go to some bars and do some stuff, because I think a little street cred would help us. We are a little boring, so I agree with them all. A fight here and there, you know, what the hell. It's good."

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