San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, a towering figure in NBA history, faced a frightening health scare on Tuesday night, April 15, 2025, when he was rushed from a local restaurant in an ambulance. The 76-year-old Hall of Famer was dining at a San Antonio steakhouse when paramedics received a call about an elderly man who had fainted, according to TMZ Sports. Popovich, who had been at the restaurant for nearly two hours, was placed on a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital around 8:20 p.m. local time.
Sources noted that he was alert and talking as he was loaded into the ambulance, and he’s now reportedly back home, stable and recovering from what officials described as a non-life-threatening condition. This incident marks another health setback for Popovich, who has been absent from the Spurs’ sideline since suffering a mild stroke on November 2, 2024, prior to a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A Frightening Moment for a Legend
Popovich’s stroke last year sidelined him for the entire season, and though he’s made progress-sources told ESPN he’s ahead of schedule in his rehab, advancing in five months what typically takes nine-the physical demands of coaching at 76 raise questions about his return. Popovich, who signed a five-year contract extension in 2023, has long been a pillar of resilience, but this latest scare has some wondering if retirement might be the wisest path for the NBA’s oldest head coach.
Popovich’s absence has left a void in San Antonio, where he has been the cornerstone of the franchise since taking over as head coach in 1996-97. With a record 1,412 regular season wins – the most in NBA history – and 170 playoff victories, he’s led the Spurs to five championships and cemented his legacy as one of the game’s greatest coaches.
Assistant coach Mitch Johnson stepped in as interim head coach after Popovich’s stroke and led the team through a difficult season, finishing with a 22-30 record under his watch. In February 2025, Popovich met with the Spurs to confirm that he would not return for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, expressing his hope to coach again but focusing on his recovery. Tuesday’s incident, coming just months after his stroke, has reignited concerns about his future in the high-stress world of NBA coaching.
Popovich’s Legacy and a Potential “What If”
Popovich’s career is a master class in excellence. Beyond his record-breaking wins, he’s one of only five coaches with at least five NBA titles, joining icons like Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach in championship lore. His ability to mold big men into cornerstones-like David Robinson and Tim Duncan, who powered those title runs-made him the perfect mentor for Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ generational talent drafted No. 1 overall in 2023. Wembanyama, sidelined this season with a blood clot in his shoulder, could have been the next chapter in Popovich’s legacy of dominant bigs.
Unfortunately, their partnership now risks becoming a “what if” in NBA history, as Popovich’s health casts doubt on his return. The stress of coaching may be too much for a 76-year-old who’s already given so much to the game, and stepping away may be the healthiest choice.
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