Although he is no longer the Spurs’ head coach, Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich remains the core of the team and his guidance will play a large role in the NBA Finals.
Victor Wembanyama was the first person to talk to Pope after the team returned to San Antonio following their Game 7 win over the Thunder.
“When we landed, I saw Pop right away,” Vunbanyama said, via ESPN. “This emotion is something I haven’t felt in a while, I don’t even know when. It’s been a challenge to recover from this. We still need to really come back to reality and realize that we haven’t done the hardest thing yet [task] However. “
In addition to Popovich, the Spurs have a unique roster with a number of influencers guiding the team every day, including Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, David Robinson, Sean Elliott and Bruce Bowen.
“It’s awesome,” Fox said. “It’s not just Popovich, it’s the entire organization. A lot of guys have walked through this building and been there and done these things. We can just have a practice and Manu is there or Tim is there. We have these guys that have won multiple championships and been on top of the mountain multiple times. You can ask them any question.
“Obviously, Kemp is going to be out there. He’s going to speak his mind. He’s going to come to shootarounds, practices. You’re going to see him everywhere. Something as little as blocking someone out on a free throw or an extra pass that happens at this stage of the game can change the game.
“It’s great to have these types of people in your ear,” he continued. “They’re not saying that because it makes them successful. They want to see other people succeed. It’s a great thing, especially in a long year and a long Finals.”
If the team does bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to San Antonio, it’s clear that their cohesive approach will work.
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