Popovich had what the team called a mild stroke just five games into the season. Interim coach Mitch Johnson has led the Spurs to a 22-27 mark (24-30 overall) in the absence of Popovich, who has coached the team since the 1996-97 season and won five NBA championships.

San Antonio Spurs' head coach, Gregg Popovich, is unlikely to make a comeback this season as he recuperates from a stroke sustained earlier in the campaign. The revelation that Popovich will be absent for the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA season follows closely on the heels of the news that French sensation Victor Wembanyama has been sidelined for the rest of the season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.