By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
San Antonio Spurs’ 99-97 victory over Boston Celtics on Wednesday was a historic moment for legendary coach Gregg Popovich, who became the only person in NBA history to reach 2,000 games with the same team.
Popovich, 72, has won a total of 1,325 games with the Spurs, for a total of 66,5% winning percentage, a rare accolade to be added to his already unique career.
The Spurs playcaller also surpassed George Karl, to now rank sixth overall in most games coached in NBA history, and soon he is expected to also climb up above Larry Brown (2,002 games) soon. At the end of the 2021-22 season, he could rank as high as in the fourth place.
Popovich has led the Spurs to five NBA championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) and has been named Coach Of The Year three times during his nearly 26-year run with the franchise (2003, 2012, 2014).
Most games coached in NBA history (per Jordan Howenstine)
| Coach | Number of games |
| Lenny Wilkens | 2,487 |
| Don Nelson | 2,398 |
| Bill Fitch | 2,050 |
| Jerry Sloan | 2,024 |
| Larry Brown | 2,002 |
| Gregg Popovich | 2,000 |
| George Karl | 1,999 |
| Dick Motta | 1,952 |
| Pay Riley | 1,904 |
| Rick Adelman | 1,791 |
Photo: Getty Images