Congratulating Gregg Popovich on his retirement as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.

89(R) HR 1130 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

H.R. No. 1130

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Gregg Popovich retired as head coach of the

San Antonio Spurs on May 2, 2025, drawing to a close a legendary

career that transformed the sport of basketball; and

WHEREAS, The architect of a Spurs dynasty that brought five

NBA titles to the Alamo City, Coach Popovich is stepping down to

serve as the team's president of basketball operations; he ends his

hall of fame career as the all-time winningest coach in league

history with 1,422 victories; over the course of 29 seasons, he

collected three Coach of the Year awards and guided the team to six

NBA Finals and 22 consecutive playoff appearances; and

WHEREAS, Born in East Chicago, Indiana, Gregg Popovich

lettered in three sports at Merrillville High School and played

basketball at the U.S. Air Force Academy; he went on to serve five

years of active military duty, and during that time, he traveled

through Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union as a member of the Armed

Forces basketball team; he began his coaching career in 1973 as head

coach of the USAFA Prep School, and he later became an assistant on

the USAFA college team and head coach of the Pomona and Pitzer

Colleges combined men's basketball team; and

WHEREAS, In 1986, Coach Popovich became a volunteer assistant

at the University of Kansas under head coach Larry Brown; when

Mr. Brown took charge of the Spurs two years later, Mr. Popovich

arrived in San Antonio for his first NBA coaching job; he

subsequently served as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors

but returned to San Antonio in 1994 to become general manager and

vice president of basketball operations; early in the 1996-1997

season, with the Spurs struggling, he was named head coach,

beginning his legendary tenure at the helm of the team; and

WHEREAS, Coach Popovich proved himself a master of matching

San Antonio's playing style to the talents of his athletes, and the

defense-first, early championship teams led by the "Twin Towers" of

Tim Duncan and David Robinson gave way to the so-called "Beautiful

Game" Spurs of the mid-2010s that carved through the league with an

unselfish brand of basketball; in total, the Popovich-era Spurs

were crowned NBA champions in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014; the

franchise's accomplishments were unprecedented for a small-market

team, and the Spurs became the gold standard in professional sports

for their revered culture; beyond the titles, Coach Popovich helped

pioneer such innovations as providing players with rest periods to

prolong their careers and scouting international basketball

talent; in addition, he has mentored a long list of coaches and

front-office personnel who have found notable success in the sport;

and

WHEREAS, Early on, Coach Popovich was known for his gruffness

and no-nonsense approach, but as the years passed, he gained the

reputation as a players' coach who led with a wry sense of humor and

brutal honesty; he valued building deep connections with players

and staff, and the Spurs' team dinners, preferably with six people

to a table and plenty of wine, became the stuff of legend; his

effective leadership was also demonstrated on the Olympic stage in

2021, when he guided Team USA to the gold medal at the Summer Games

in Tokyo; and

WHEREAS, "Coach Pop" has become a fixture in the San Antonio

community who is beloved not only for his coaching expertise but for

his civic engagement; he has spoken about race and politics with a

candidness rarely found in sports, and he has been actively

involved with organizations such as Roy Maas Youth Alternatives,

the Boys and Girls Club, and the Miracle League of San Antonio;

moreover, the Spurs Youth Basketball League, a program he helped

create in 1991, was honored with a Daily Point of Light Award by

President George H. W. Bush; and

WHEREAS, One of the most successful basketball coaches in the

history of the game, Gregg Popovich has distinguished himself

through his unparalleled leadership and deep commitment to his

community and country, and he may indeed reflect with pride on his

extraordinary achievements as he concludes his coaching career;

now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas

Legislature hereby congratulate Gregg Popovich on his retirement as

head coach of the San Antonio Spurs and extend to him sincere best

wishes for the future; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

prepared for Coach Pop as an expression of high regard by the Texas

House of Representatives.

Martinez Fischer

Gervin-Hawkins

Lujan

Bernal

Lopez of Bexar

Campos

Cortez

Dorazio

Garcia of Bexar

LaHood

______________________________

Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 1130 was adopted by the House on May

23, 2025, by a non-record vote.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House