While Victor Wembanyama and most of his teammates will make their playoff debut Sunday, the San Antonio Spurs actually have a ton of postseason knowledge to lean on.
The greatest source of information and inspiration comes from the franchise's former coach, Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich.
A fixture at the Spurs' practice facility while he continues to rehabilitate from a stroke suffered Nov. 2, 2024, Popovich, 77, addressed the team earlier this week prior to its first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers.
"[Popovich said] just to be us, not to really do anything different from what we've been doing all season," guard Stephon Castle said. "He gave us another perspective on how well we've been playing and the position we've put ourselves in. So just keep doing what we've been doing to get in those spots."
Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich, who regularly visits the Spurs' practice facility while he continues to rehabilitate from a stroke, met with the team earlier this week ahead of its playoff series vs. Portland. Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images Sound advice for a team that finished with the NBA's second-best record at 62-20 and won the Southwest Division for the first time since 2017.
"He's one of the winningest coaches ever, one of the coaches with the most rings ever," De'Aaron Fox told reporters Friday. "So it's only right that he felt like he needed to come in and preach to the choir."
Added Spurs veteran Keldon Johnson to The Athletic: "He looks amazing. He's doing great. It's always good to see him. He stays in touch. He texts me or calls me from time to time, probably every other day.... Just seeing how he's progressing, seeing how well he's doing, it's just the ultimate satisfaction, honestly."