Spurs' Gregg Popovich ties record for most wins as an NBA head coach

Gregg Popovich led the San Antonio Spurs to the 1,335th win of his tenure Monday, tying Don Nelson's record for the most regular season wins as a head coach in NBA history.

Popovich, 73, was hired as the Spurs' head coach in 1996 and led the team to 22 consecutive trips to the playoffs before the streak ended in 2020. San Antonio is likely to miss the postseason for a third straight year as the Monday win improved the team's record to a paltry 25-40.

Still, the Spurs' 117-110 win against the Los Angeles Lakers puts Popovich in position to take the top spot in the NBA coaching record books.

While Popovich has spent his entire time as a head coach with one team, Nelson bounced around the league with stints as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Dallas Mavericks. His last season was in 2010 during a second stint with the Warriors.

Popovich is already well ahead of Nelson in NBA wins if the playoffs are included, as his 170 postseason victories are far ahead of Nelson's 75. Popovich has won five NBA titles with the Spurs, something Nelson was unable to accomplish as a head coach.