San Antonio Spurs president of basketball operations Gregg Popovich has stepped in to motivate his team after they fell into a 0-2 deficit against the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals.
Popovich, who stepped down as head coach after the 2024-25 season, continues to offer guidance during critical postseason moments.
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“He basically said that even though we dug ourselves a hole, that we can dig ourselves out of it,” said guard De'Aaron Fox to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Fox added that Popovich urged the team to remain confident.
“He told us just to be confident — to come out here and be confident, that there's a reason why we got here,” Fox said.
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This is not the first time Popovich has intervened during the playoffs.
He previously used blunt language to criticize the team during the Western Conference Finals after they fell behind 2-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Spurs responded by winning three of the next four games to eliminate the reigning champions.
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On Monday night, San Antonio secured a 115-111 victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, snapping New York's 13-game postseason winning streak and cutting the series deficit to 2-1.
