Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sits out with illness vs Lakers

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sits out with illness vs Lakers

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sits out with illness vs Lakers
NBA

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sits out with illness vs Lakers

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Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is sitting out San Antonio’s game against the Lakers with an illness.

The 73-year-old Popovich apparently felt fine during his pregame media availability, but the winningest coach in NBA history then fell ill shortly before tipoff in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

Assistant coach Brett Brown ran the Spurs’ bench in Popovich’s absence.

Popovich has been the Spurs’ head coach since 1996, making him the longest-tenured head coach in North America’s major professional sports leagues. He has won five NBA championships and three NBA Coach of the Year awards while winning a league-record 1,350 regular season games.

The Spurs had lost four straight and nine of 10 heading into their meeting with the Lakers. San Antonio and Los Angeles will meet three times in seven days.