Correction: Upon closer listening, it sounds as if Popovich said “it’s” rather than “you’re” “not worth much.”
Games in the Spurs-Thunder series have been decided by 17, 35, 9, 13 and 28 points – and in the lone single-digit game, the winning team led by 20 late in the fourth quarter before surrendering a meaningless run.
Despite five blowouts, the series is as close as possible with San Antonio holding a 3-2 lead.
That’s quirky and somewhat interesting, but I have no clue how to explain it. If only there were a basketball genius fielding questions whom we could ask.
After the Spurs won Game 5, a reporter asked Gregg Popovich about the string of big wins by both teams.
- Reporter: “Five games, five blowouts. To us who don’t really know the game, how do you explain that?”
- Popovich: “You’re serious? You really think I can explain that?”
- Reporter: “In simplest terms. I know you can. The question is, will you?”
- Popovich: “Good Lord. And they pay you, don’t they? They pay –”
- Reporter: “Very little.”
- Popovich: “Thus the question. It’s not worth much.”
- Reporter: “That’s why I’m not up there.”
I hope the reporter wasn’t offended, though Popovich’s words – even with his laugh – were way out of line. I know I wouldn’t have been offended, because this is who Popovich is. He’s a jerk to the media. A long history of him acting like this might mean we shouldn’t take his retorts seriously, but normalizing them doesn’t make them acceptable.
To make matters worse as the exchange continued, the reporter clearly thought Popovich used “can’t” in the same way he says he “can’t” explain his tactical adjustments – as a synonym for “won’t.” But, in this case, I legitimately believe Popovich truly meant “can’t.” Of course, Popovich made no effort to get on the same page as the reporter, instead opting to belittle him.
Another reporter followed up and again asked whether Popovich can explain the series producing five routs. This time, Popovich answered:
No. There’s no way. I have no clue, honestly. I think every game, it’s a different animal. It really is. We talk to our team about that all the time. You have no clue what’s going to happen, how a team is going to come out, whether they’re going to be lethargic or hold the ball, don’t hold the ball, get 50-50 balls or don’t get 50-50 balls. The game is played once it begins, and adjustments start.Both sides are going to make their adjustments, whether it’s substitutions or changing pick-and-roll defenses or who you want to go to, how many minutes so-and-so should play. All that happens when the game starts. There are plays, there are calls, there are runs that happen that make momentum stop or get extended. And then a lot of it has got to do with players making shots on a certain night, and it can go in either direction.
What do you know? Popovich had a reasonable reply in him all along.
