NBA icon Gregg Popovich is one. Because of his accomplishments with the San Antonio Spurs, he is a lock for the Hall of Fame and is considered to be the best coach in NBA history. He is entitled to be who he is.
Nobody is surprised that Popovich is occasionally sardonic, prickly, ornery, and dry. It is his essence. It’s a facet of his character. Despite his occasional irritability and intimidating demeanor, his enthusiasm, determination, and kindness remain untarnished.
Among the most powerful and amiable people the league has ever encountered is Pop. The fact that he is 74 years old and has survived this long is evidence of that.
However, Popovich was understandably upset when the Spurs were easily trounced by the New York Knicks last week. And with Victor Wembanyama, the first overall choice, making his Madison Square Garden debut, he was undoubtedly already dealing with a lot of media scrutiny in the run-up to the game.
The next day, Popovich was criticized by WFAN sports radio for being a “defiant, jerky a-hole,” drawing comparisons between him and Bill Belichick as two of the least ideal people for the media to interview.
New York sports poisoning increases after a Knicks game as WFAN criticizes Gregg Popovich.
The fact that WFAN has been in the headlines lately for shady reasons doesn’t support their position. There has been the entire Giants issue involving Kayvon Thibodeau and Carl Banks, a lot of bad press around Zach Wilson’s decision to spend the bye week with his fiancée and family, and the most caustic conversations imaginable concerning the Yankees and Mets.
Including the Knicks (albeit in a nearby fashion) and a potential Hall of Famer in this issue exacerbates the situation and worsens the perception that the station has gained in the past month. Although opinions regarding Popovich’s media replies are quite legitimate, it undermines the argument when they are so strongly worded and appear to ignore the fact that the Spurs coach has been doing this for years.
For those who follow the NBA semi-regularly, Pop is well-known for his condescending interviews conducted during games.
It seems fabricated to be outraged by it in 2023 and to be the lone platform to voice such displeasure following the game last week. And that’s what many of WFAN’s claims have appeared to be lately, at least to the uninformed fan or foreigner to New York.
As the season goes on, there will undoubtedly be more annoying Knicks talk. Let’s hope for brighter times ahead. This early on, we don’t need an additional dosage of it.