The wife of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has died aged 67.
The Spurs confirmed Erin Popovich’s death Wednesday. The team didn’t provide further details, though ESPN reported she had been “ill over an extended period”.
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“We mourn the loss of Erin,” Spurs general manager RC Buford said in a team statement. “She was a strong, wonderful, kind, intelligent woman who provided love, support and humor to all of us.”
The Popovichs were married four decades and had two children.
Gregg Popovich has coach San Antonio since 1996, leading the Spurs to five NBA titles.
San Antonio trails two games to none in their best-of-seven-games first-round playoff series with the Golden State Warriors.
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“The whole NBA family is supporting him, got his back through it all,” Warriors star Kevin Durant said. “Feel so bad for Pop.”
Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) Kevin Durant upon learning the sad news. pic.twitter.com/B3MoiXLWE8
LeBron James was asked about Popovich on live television immediately after Cleveland’s 100-97 win over Indiana on Wednesday.
“That’s such a tragedy,” a visibly shaken James said on camera. “My best wishes goes out to Pop and his family. That’s devastating news.
“It’s a lot. The NBA family, we all stick together. I know we compete every night, but when something like this happens it puts everything in perspective.”
NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) "That's such a tragedy. My best wishes go out to Pop and his family." - @KingJames on the passing of Erin Popovich pic.twitter.com/83dc09urac
Game 3 of the Warriors-Spurs series is scheduled for Thursday night. The status of Popovich, who ran San Antonio’s practice on Wednesday, has yet to be confirmed.
Kevin Durant was at a loss for words after being told about the death of Gregg Popovich's wife. (0:40)
Erin Popovich, the wife of San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, died early Wednesday, the team announced. She was 67 and had been battling an illness for an extended period.
The couple had been married for four decades and had two children -- Jill and Mickey -- as well as two grandchildren.
"We mourn the loss of Erin," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "She was a strong, wonderful, kind, intelligent woman who provided love, support and humor to all of us."
Erin and Gregg Popovich were married while he worked as an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy from 1973 to 1979. Erin's father, Jim Conboy, was a former athletic trainer for the Falcons.
The Spurs next play Thursday night at home against the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of their first-round series. It was not immediately known whether their 69-year-old head coach would be with the team, and the Spurs asked that the media respect the family's privacy.
Warriors forward Kevin Durant learned of Erin Popovich's death shortly after the Spurs released their statement.
"I just want Pop to know that the whole NBA family is supporting him and got his back through it all," Durant said. "It's bigger than the game. It's bigger than winning and losing. It's about the brotherhood we built as NBA players and everybody in the NBA family. I feel so bad for Pop and his family. That's just tough to hear about."
Cavaliers star LeBron James was informed of the news immediately after his team's playoff victory in Cleveland.
James became emotional, telling TNT, "I'm a huge Pop fan. I love Pop. Such a tragedy. My best wishes go out to Pop and his family. That's devastating news. The NBA family ... we all stick together, compete every night. But something like this puts everything in perspective."
play 1:19 LeBron emotional about Popovich's wife LeBron James gets emotional and sends out his thoughts and prayers to Gregg Popovich and the Spurs after hearing about the news of Popovich's wife dying.
Popovich ran the Spurs' practice Wednesday. Assistant coach Ettore Messina would likely lead the Spurs if Popovich were to miss Game 3.
Erin Popovich, the wife of San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, died early Wednesday, the team announced. She was 67 and had been battling an illness for an extended period.
The couple had been married for four decades and had two children -- Jill and Mickey -- as well as two grandchildren.
"We mourn the loss of Erin," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "She was a strong, wonderful, kind, intelligent woman who provided love, support and humor to all of us."
Erin and Gregg Popovich were married while he worked as an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy from 1973 to 1979. Erin's father, Jim Conboy, was a former athletic trainer for the Falcons.
The Spurs next play Thursday night at home against the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of their first-round series. It was not immediately known whether their 69-year-old head coach would be with the team, and the Spurs asked that the media respect the family's privacy.
Warriors forward? Kevin Durant?learned of Erin Popovich's death shortly after the Spurs released their statement.
"I just want Pop to know that the whole NBA family is supporting him and got his back through it all," Durant said. "It's bigger than the game. It's bigger than winning and losing. It's about the brotherhood we built as NBA players and everybody in the NBA family. I feel so bad for Pop and his family. That's just tough to hear about."
Popovich ran the Spurs' practice Wednesday. Assistant coach Ettore Messina would likely lead the Spurs if Popovich were to miss Game 3.
The wife of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has died age 67 after a long battle with an undisclosed illness.
The Spurs confirmed Erin Popovich's death Wednesday. The team didn't provide further details.
Erin, a native of Colorado Springs, had reportedly been ill over an extended period, according to ESPN. The circumstances surrounding her death were not immediately known.
'We mourn the loss of Erin,' Spurs general manager RC Buford said in a team statement.
'She was a strong, wonderful, kind, intelligent woman who provided love, support and humor to all of us.'
The wife of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has died. The Spurs confirmed Erin Popovich's (right, pictured together) death Wednesday
The Spurs confirmed Erin's death Wednesday. The team didn't provide further details. Erin (pictured with Gregg in July 2007), a native of Colorado Springs, had reportedly been ill over an extended period
The Popovichs were married for four decades and had two children, Jill and Micky, as well as two grandchildren. Gregg Popovich is pictured in April 2017
'We mourn the loss of Erin,' Spurs general manager RC Buford said in a team statement
The Popovichs were married for four decades and had two children, Jill and Micky, as well as two grandchildren.
Gregg met Erin in the 1970s while he was an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy from 1973 to 1979, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Her father, Jim Conboy, was an athletic trainer for the Air Force Falcons.
Though Popovich, who has a reputation of not always being cooperative or charming to the media, didn't talk about his wife often, he did talk about how she would tell him to be nicer to reporters.
'When I get home and she says "geez why are you so mean? You're a jerk, people hate you." I go "I'm sorry honey, I have to do better next time." ... And there's no exaggeration,' he told Yahoo Sports in 2012.
"Did you see that guy, honey? Did you see him?" All you have to do is see him and you know why I answered the way I did. (She says) "That's no excuse, you're a grown man. Show some maturity." I said "I can't, I can't do it."'
Gregg, who is also known as 'Pop', then became head coach at Pomona Pitzer in 1979 and Erin moved to Southern California with him.
In her free time, Erin enjoyed working with charities, such as the San Antonio Food Bank.
Since 1996, Gregg, 69, has coached the San Antonio Spurs, leading them to five NBA titles.
He has been the longest tenured active coach in both the NBA and all US major sports leagues.
In recent years he has been outspoken on his distain for President Donald Trump and received backlash from Spurs fans.
He called the U.S. 'an embarrassment to the world' and the president a 'soulless coward' and a 'pathological liar.'
According to the Washington Post, after the election he said: 'I live in a country where half the people ignored all that to elect someone. That's the scariest part of the whole thing to me.'
Fan Bob Mulherin told the Post: 'He insulted more than half of the Spurs' fan base, and no sign whatsoever of an apology.
'It is sad that Pop basically told my wife and my son and me for that matter that we were fools for supporting Donald Trump,' he said. 'What happens when someone calls you a fool? You avoid them.'
Popovich is an outspoken supporter of women's rights and he's helped to raise money for disaster relief in Haiti, as well as local food banks and the Innocence Project, a non-profit legal organization aimed at exonerating the innocent.
He also has a background in foreign affairs, having received a bachelor’s degree in Soviet Studies at Air Force Academy, where he met Erin, and Air Force Intelligence. Popovich even served on an Air Force base in Turkey, where he tracked Soviet missile tests.
Since 1996, Gregg, 69, has coached the San Antonio Spurs, leading them to five NBA titles. He has been the longest tenured active coach in both the NBA and all US major sports leagues
Tributes poured in from admirers, friends, past presidents and NBA players who all sent the Popovich family their thoughts and prayers. Former president Bill Clinton tweeted his condolences to the family
San Antonio will face Golden State on Thursday night in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.
The Spurs are in the playoffs for the 21st consecutive year, tied for the second-longest streak in NBA history.
Popovich ran the Spurs' practice Wednesday. The Warriors lead the series 2-0.
It was not immediately known whether their head coach would be with the team.
Warriors forward Kevin Durant learned of her death shortly after the Spurs released their statement.
'The whole NBA family is supporting him, got his back through it all,' Durant said. 'Feel so bad for Pop.'
Cavaliers star LeBron James was interviewed about the death after Cleveland's 100-97 win over Indiana on Wednesday.
Cavaliers star LeBron James was stunned when he heard the news immediately after Cleveland's 100-97 win over Indiana on Wednesday
Warriors forward Kevin Durant learned of her death shortly after the Spurs released their statement
Tributes came from a few elected officials in Texas, including Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Congressman Joaquin Castro (pictured)
'Obviously I'm a huge Pop fan. I love Pop. That's such a tragedy and my best wishes goes out to Pop and his family,' James said.
'The NBA family, we all stick together. I know we compete every night, but when something like this happens it puts everything in perspective,' James added.
Many criticized LaForce for surprising James with the question, but the star later clarified that he was not 'blindsided' by the reporter.
'Allie LaForce told me she was going to ask me the question and if it was OK,' he said in a video published by The Undefeated. 'Once I started talking about it on-air, actually my emotions kind of took over and that was just my emotions coming straight from the heart.'
Tributes poured in from admirers, friends, past presidents and NBA players who all sent the Popovich family their thoughts and prayers.
'Ughhh. RIP Erin Popovich. Condolences to Pop and his family...40 years of marriage. It's bigger than basketball. The NBA family mourning this loss,' Brooklyn Nets star Jeremy Lin tweeted.
Retired NBA star Steve Nash tweeted: 'Knowing Pop, it's fair to assume Erin Popovich was an absolute legend. My deepest sympathies to Pop and his daughters.'
Tributes came from a few elected officials in Texas, including Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Congressman Joaquin Castro.
The Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls - among others - also tweeted their condolences to the Popovich family.
