David Robinson once shared why he clicked with Gregg Popovich immediately: 'Pop's a military guy, no-nonsense'

Unlike some of his fellow NBA superstars who didn't see eye-to-eye with their coaches, David Robinson clicked with San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich right from the start. According to "The Admiral," their instant bond can be traced back to their shared backgrounds as he and Popovich hailed from military schools.

More importantly, Robinson revealed that their personalities and approaches to the game aligned perfectly with each other, creating a synergy that would prove vital for the Spurs' success. For David, what Coach Pop brought to the table was exactly what he needed as a player.

"I loved Pop from the beginning because, you know, Pop's a military guy, Air Force guy. No nonsense," the 1995 NBA league MVP once told Unbelievable Show. "He'll come in and tell you like it is. He doesn't care how you respond to it; he's going to tell you what he thinks, and I like that. I don't like games. I don't want somebody coming in and fake yelling at me, you know, tell me what's wrong and tell me whether you trust me or not, and so, I liked Pop from the beginning."

Popovich's vision was what the Spurs needed

As Robinson reflected on his journey with Pop in San Antonio, he also fondly recalls the early years of the legendary coach's tenure with the team. As expected, David said Popovich also faced hurdles that tested his skills and leadership.

However, what impressed Robinson most was how Popovich dealt with all of it. He was in awe of Pop's resilience and ability to swiftly turn the team's fortunes around. The way Robinson described it, Pop was not just a coach; he was a visionary who understood how to set the right goals for the Spurs and, more importantly, devise the appropriate strategies to achieve them.

"Pop had to go through his own maturation stage. I mean, I think that first year, [he was] just figuring out how to manage the players and how to kind of get things going in the right direction. But Pop had a vision," Robinson said. "He knew what he wanted to accomplish, he knew how he wanted to accomplish it, and so, guys started to buy into it, and so that really was the big turnaround. That was when things started falling into place."

Robinson and Popovich built the Spurs culture

Together, Robinson and Popovich crafted a basketball system that became synonymous with elite-level team basketball. Their collaboration went beyond just talent as it was rooted in a shared attitude and unwavering discipline that laid the groundwork for the Spurs' culture.

Robinson's dominance complimented Popovich's fundamental coaching style. As "The Admiral" became arguably the most unstoppable big man in the league, Coach Pop focused on finding the right pieces to build around his star center.

In 1997, Popovich recruited a certain Tim Duncan, another formidable player who upheld the same mentality as him and Robinson. With the trio leading the charge, the Spurs morphed into a championship-caliber team. The rest, as they say, is history.

Pop has been keeping the Spurs culture alive

Very much like Robinson, Dejounte Murray also began his professional basketball career with Spurs. From the very beginning, Murray was also immersed in the rich winning culture and tradition of excellence that Popovich started and became the Spurs' identity.

This environment of success and high expectations made "Baby Boy" realize early on that he was in precisely the right place to grow as a young NBA player. Looking back, what stood out to Murray was also Popovich's straightforward approach and incredible discipline.

"When I first got there, it was crazy. Just seeing Pop when you watch and hear so much about him. Just seeing the players, when you walk into the facility and see these banners, you just feel the winning energy," Dejounte once said in a podcast interview. "You feel the culture as soon as you walk in. Just from Pop, no bulls**t, from day one."

It's safe to say that besides Robinson and Murray, almost every former Spur who played under him would also rave about Popovich's greatness. Apart from their testimonials, Coach Pop's long list of remarkable milestones also speaks volumes about the quality of his work.

While it's true that the players were frontliners of the Spurs dynasty, it was Popovich who engineered and guided the squads that won five NBA championships for the franchise. As far as individual accolades go, Coach Pop solidified his case as the NBA GOAT coach by becoming the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,388 regular season wins, all with the Spurs.

On the other hand, Robinson is credited for putting the Spurs back on the map with his otherworldly athleticism and all-around game. Mentally, he was an extension of Pop on the court and a reliable team captain.

Today, Robinson and Popovich are remembered as two of the most influential figures in Spurs history and as one the most wholesome and disciplined star player-coach duo the NBA has ever seen.