Gregg Popovich doesn’t hate Craig Sager. Heck, he actually likes the guy.
This isn’t exactly news. Popovich’s frequent jabs at the fashionable NBA sideline reporter always have smelled of good-natured ribbing. But it’s still heartwarming to hear the San Antonio Spurs head coach open up about his unique relationship with Sager, who revealed to HBO’s “Real Sports” that doctors have given him three to six months to live amid his battle with leukemia.
“He’s just been such a genuine person who really does love the NBA and he loves the game, and it comes through and you know that,” Popovich said. “Even though he does what he does design- and fashion-wise, it’s part of the shtick. But his questions are always sensible, they’re answerable and he does it with fun, he does it with humor. And so I react to that very positively, so we have a good time together.”
Popovich’s hatred for in-game interviews is well-documented, and Sager has ended up in the coach’s crosshairs on more than one occasion. It’s obvious there’s plenty of respect between the two, though, and the news of Sager’s prognosis undoubtedly is tugging at Popovich’s heartstrings.
Thumbnail photo via Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports Images
