After nearly three decades as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, five-time NBA champion Gregg Popovich had his first public address in his new role.
Popovich, who was the longtime coach and executive for San Antonio, will transition from head coach to solely president of basketball operations with the Spurs. The three-time NBA Coach of the Year suffered a health scare earlier this season and former assistant coach Mitch Johnson stepped up as the interim.
Johnson was announced as the replacement for Popovich late last week and had his first press conference on Monday. He was introduced by Popovich, who was making his only appearance in front of the media since his health scare in November 2024.
Popovich was standing alongside San Antonio legends Tim Duncan and Manu Ginóbili when he made a hilarious reveal.
In an attempt to make sure everyone understood his new job, he unzipped his jacket to reveal a black t-shirt that read “El Jefe” in white lettering.
Popovich said he is “no longer coach” and now goes by the nickname El Jefe, which means “The Boss” in Spanish.
He then turned around to show the crowd the back of the shirt, which said: “Señor Popovich, President of Basketball Ops” for the Spurs.