Wife of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich dies
The San Antonio Spurs announced that Erin Popovich, the wife of 69-year-old coach Gregg Popovich, passed away on Wednesday.
"With deep regret the San Antonio Spurs announce that Erin Popovich, wife of Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich, passed away earlier today," the statement read. "Erin and Gregg were married for four decades and were blessed with two children and two grandchildren."
Spurs general manager R.C. Buford, whose team is scheduled to play Game 3 of its first-round playoff series against Golden State on Thursday, offered his support in the statement as well.
"We mourn the loss of Erin,” Buford said. “She was a strong, wonderful, kind, intelligent woman who provided love, support and humor to all of us.”
According to the San Antonio Express-News, she died after a lengthy illness. She was 67. The San Antonio paper said her late father was the athletic trainer at the Air Force Academy for 43 years. Gregg Popovich is a 1970 Air Force Academy graduate.
The Spurs announced Thursday that assistant coach Ettore Messina will replace Popovich on the sidelines for Game 3.
Popovich didn't talk about his wife often, but he did pull the curtain back a bit on their relationship in October of 2012. In an interview with 790 The Ticket in Miami, he shared a story about how she would often tell him to be nicer to media members.
"It entertains everybody but my wife," he said of his tendency to be cranky during television interviews that take place between the quarters in games. "When I get home and she says 'geez why are you so mean? You're a jerk, people hate you.' I go 'I'm sorry honey, I have to do better next time.' ... And there's no exaggeration. 'Did you see that guy, honey? Did you see him?' All you have to do is see him and you know why I answered the way I did. (She says) 'That's no excuse, you're a grown man. Show some maturity.' I said 'I can't, I can't do it."'
Warriors star Kevin Durant learned of the news shortly after the Spurs made a statement.
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