After crossing the hill to find that no one was waiting, Popovich used the light of faith to illuminate the Spurs for 26 years
Text/Jiang Shihua
Today, March 12 is China's Arbor Day, which means to sow green in the spring, but for Popovich, this day has some spring and autumn meaning, the moment the Spurs won the thrilling victory of the Jazz, a great record was born: Popovich won the 1336th victory of his coaching career, and the way of time that wrote this legend, Popovich walked for 26 years. As one song goes: Over the hill, only to find no one waiting. This is a feat unprecedented, and it is likely to be a no-comer. For 26 years, Popovich has used the light of faith to illuminate the Spurs forward. In fact, the fans' respect and even faith in Popovich have nothing to do with the Spurs' current record, and in the dark, we all believe that the old man is there, and the Spurs are there.
At the post-match press conference, the old man did not mention this record at all, as if it was a game that could not be more bland, but it was destined to be a moment in the annals of basketball history: statistics show that Popovich only took 2,030 games to complete this achievement, and only lost 694 games, and don Nelson and Lenny Wilkens behind him lost more than 1,000 games. Of course, not all blandness deliberately ignores greatness, for example, David Robinson witnessed the scene of the teacher's creation of history on the scene today. In the river of time, we are just a bunch of helpless sailors, think about it, when Popovich just coached the Spurs, David Robinson and Olajuwon were competing for the first center, when Duncan was still a young teenager, and now, 26 years have passed, looking back at Fanghua has passed, now the bearded David does not need verification pieces to go to the nursing home, and Duncan has gradually become a middle-aged greasy uncle. Only Popovich, still standing on the sidelines in a suit, clings to his own beliefs, laughing at the NBA's decades of flowers and flowers, and the origin of the fate is gone.
Frankly, I used to dislike Popovich very much, and certainly not much of the Spurs' tactical style. Compared with O'Neal's violent aesthetics, Kobe Bryant's ethereal, or James's little emperor arrogance and Curry's peak projection concept, Popovich and his Spurs team are like a machine on the court, the game is different but the technical and tactical presentation is like quantitative production, the concept of tactical discipline is interpreted to the extreme, never use the three-pointer as a conventional weapon, break through the block and break the shooting, as if it is the Housekeeping Skill in the Spurs textbook. From the perspective of eating melon masses to see the hilarity, Popovich's Spurs are always less ornamental, even if Duncan scores at his peak, it is always a 45-degree board goal, looking back at Popovich with a grim face, Duncan is also expressionless. I even think that the reason why Duncan has the title of stone Buddha is forced by the old man.
In middle age, people gradually discovered that popovich and his Spurs' basketball philosophy was simple but not simple. Although the Warriors in the peak of previous years, the outside line dominated the inside line for the traditional basketball technical and tactical concept is a complete subversion, although in recent years, in the ranks of the playoffs has been difficult to see the shadow of the Spurs, but the Spurs are still spurs, with the retirement of GDP, Leonard's personality released out of Toronto, or Ader's old age, the Spurs do not have the absolute strength of a strong team, but the Spurs' concept has always been there, the persistence of tactical discipline and the tenacity of the game style, can be defeated on the court, But it's definitely not going to be broken, and that's the Spurs. Including today's victory of the Jazz, who is also known for his tenacious style, in the seemingly ordinary time there is occasional romance of chasing the wind and chasing the moon, this is the Spurs under Popovich's coaching, simple but not simple, I am, so I am!
In terms of victory and defeat, Popovich may have had many opponents in the 26-year coaching career, such as Zen masters, but off the field, whether players or coaches, Popovich has no enemies, including the young Leonard. A few years ago, Bobo's wife died, coinciding with the Spurs' 0-3 desperate situation in the Playoffs, everyone sent blessings and lows, but the old man smiled and said to the Warriors fans, "Warriors come on." Or maybe some people have questioned James, but Popovich's solidarity with James is ingenious: this kid really is, he has averaged more than twenty points per game when he first debuted, and there has been no progress in almost 20 years. Whether it is good or bad, Popovich always treats everyone and everything warmly.
26 years, five champions, in the small city of San Antonio, from chasing the light, approaching the light, to becoming the light, emitting light. Popovich is the light in the basketball world.