LeBron James Didn’t Hesitate About Gregg Popovich After Spurs Coach’s Medical Emergency

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Spencer Ostrow | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 10:22 AM ET

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is in Year 22 of his storied NBA career, chasing his fifth championship. Over the years, he’s had countless battles with San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich—most notably, when James faced Pop’s Spurs three times in the NBA Finals, once during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and twice with the Miami Heat.

There’s a deep mutual respect between the two, but Popovich has faced serious health issues. He hasn’t coached since Oct. 31 after suffering a stroke prior to tip-off on Nov. 2. More recently, he reportedly fainted while dining at a local restaurant, though he’s said to be recovering well.

James reflected on Popovich and playing against him during the latest episode of his podcast, "Mind the Game ," with Steve Nash.

"When you play the Spurs, not only are you trying to defeat the Hall of Fame players, you're also trying to defeat the Hall of Fame coach," James said. "...I have to guard Tony [Parker], Manu [Ginobli], Timmy [Duncan], and then you see, okay, maybe they may be a little tired this quarter, maybe, and then you look to the sideline, and you got Pop over there, and he's like, on the floor as well, but standing on the sideline."

James then went on to say, going into a series against Popovich, you're already "mentally drained" because "they're not going to beat themselves."

"You know when you come into a series, versus a Greg Popovich team, versus a Bill Belichick football team," James added. "You know, we have to beat them. They're not going to beat themselves. You know that. So you're already mentally drained before you even get into it. It's like, you start to put more pressure on yourself, saying we got to play perfect basketball, which is impossible."

In their three NBA Finals matchups, James went 1-2 against Popovich. The first meeting came in 2007, when Popovich’s Spurs swept James’ young Cavaliers. In 2013, James got his revenge, leading the Heat to a victory in Game 7. But the very next year, Popovich and the Spurs bounced back, defeating James and the Heat in just five games.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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