Open Thread: Gregg Popovich has tied for all-time wins by an NBA coach

The Spurs end the season with another record-breaking feat

The San Antonio Spurs ended the season on a win which helps solidify a better suited opponent in the first round of the postseason. And the last win of the season puts yet another feather in the cap of head coach Gregg Popovich.

As you may recall, earlier this season we counted down the games in which Pop moved past Pat Riley and Jerry Sloan in wins. He has surpassed both but is still 90 games from catching Don Nelson at the top spot.

In an attempt to keep the playing field level for all coaches, those records only reflect the regular season. But life isn’t fair. Some coaches have more seasons as head coaches, some have superstar players that pad their winning percentage, and some repeatedly go into the postseason. Like, twenty-two times in a row.

Ginobili pontificated on the exclusion of postseason wins when Pop hit the 1,000th game stating “For me it’s not 1,000. It’s 1,149,” he said. “I just checked. I have no idea why they don’t count the playoffs, which are more valuable.”

So tonight, Pop finishes his 23rd season with 1245 regular season wins. 87 behind Lenny Wilkins and 90 from catching Don Nelson.

But his 167 playoff wins bests Wilkins 80 and Don Nelsons 75. And with that, Pop is now one lone win from having the most total wins by an NBA coach all to himself.


Reimagining the all-time wins places Pop at the top. It also places Lenny Wilkens above Don Nelson by two games, elevates Phil Jackson and switches Riley and Sloan.

Pop is still 90 regular season wins from the all-time record, he’s also 62 playoff wins from the guy who coached 11 NBA Championship seasons. But when you put it all together, no one will ever match Gregg Charles Popovich.


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Source: Pounding The Rock

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