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Spurs HC Gregg Popovich 'thought about' getting ejected during preseason game

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 10/19/23

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich joked Wednesday night that he considered getting ejected from his team's preseason game against the Houston Rockets.

The 74-year-old told reporters that he didn't "have a whole lot of time" to answer postgame questions following the victory, as he had to "go celebrate" the Las Vegas Aces' Game 4, WNBA title-clinching win over the New York Liberty.

Popovich's former assistant coach, Becky Hammon, was hired as the Aces head coach and general manager in December 2021 and has now earned back-to-back WNBA championships.

Gregg Popovich says he thought about getting ejected so he could watch Becky Hammon win the WNBA title: "It was exactly the same time. But I just thought this has to be my priority. But it was close. It was close." pic.twitter.com/PwaV2ztvzb
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) October 19, 2023

Hammon worked under Popovich for seven years from 2014-2021, helping the franchise make the playoffs five seasons in a row at the start of her tenure. She joined "Pop" on the bench following her retirement from the WNBA as a player. Her 16-season career included six All-Star appearances.

Hammon played eight seasons with the Liberty and eight with the San Antonio Stars.

The Aces became the first WNBA team to win back-to-back championships since the Los Angeles Sparks, who accomplished the feat 21 years ago in 2002. Las Vegas held off the star-studded Liberty squad 70-69 in Game 4 despite being without two starters due to injury: Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes.

With a pair of her teammates out of action, WNBA Finals MVP A'ja Wilson led the Aces to victory with 24 points and 16 rebounds.

While Popovich couldn't be in attendance for Wednesday's dramatic finish in New York, he and Hammon were able to reunite over the summer, as both legends were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

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