hall of fame San Antonio Spurs Head coach and team president Gregg Popovich has been sidelined since suffering an undisclosed medical issue Saturday night before San Antonio’s eventual 113-103 upset win over the mighty Minnesota Timberwolves.

Read more: Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is out indefinitely due to a health issue

Popovich led the club to a 2-3 record. The team is 1-1 under his interim replacement, Mitch Johnson, this season. Johnson played for the Stanford Cardinal from 2005-2009, which included a Sweet 16 berth in 2008. He played for the then D-League club, the Tulsa 66ers. Johnson was hired to serve as an assistant coach for San Antonio’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, from 2016-19.

The 39-year-old has been on Popovich’s staff in San Antonio since 2019. He filled in for Popovich twice before.

First, Johnson replaced Popovich for a game in May 2021 when Popovich celebrated former Spurs power forward/center Tim Duncan in 2021. San Antonio lost that game. Next, Popovich was also sick for a March 2023 game against the Indiana Pacers. Johnson coached the club to a 110-99 victory.

Speaking with ESPN’s Malika Andrews and Ramona Shelburne on “NBA Today,” her colleague Shams Charania gave a disheartening update on Popovich’s status. Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today initially reported that Popovich would miss at least two contests. Now, it looks like Johnson’s tenure will last at least a little longer.

“Malika, I was told it was a health issue and it was a serious health issue that the Spurs took care of and Gregg Popovich took care of over the weekend,” Charania said. “There was a situation Saturday night before the game where Gregg Popovich needed medical attention (for) San Antonio. It’s still unknown when he’ll be back on the floor, on the sideline for this team. The level of concern in about the situation for the Spurs, for Gregg Popovich.”

Popovich was originally hired to serve as the Spurs’ general manager and vice president of basketball operations in 1994 by new owner Peter Holt. He fired head coach Bob Hill in December 1996 and settled into that role. In 2002, he was replaced by RC Buford as the club’s general manager, but maintained a key role in the front office, remaining president of the San Antonio club.

“In the meantime, assistant coach Mitch Johnson has stepped in as interim interim coach,” Charania added. “He’s an up-and-coming head coach in this league. Malika, I’m told was a finalist for the Washington Wizards head coaching job a season ago … that went to Brian Keefe,” Charania said, adding that Johnson “will be at the helm for the foreseeable future.”

Keefe led a young and raw Wizards team to a 2-4 record this year.

A three-time coach of the year, Popovich has led San Antonio to six NBA Finals appearances and five championships between 1999-2014.

Popovich, the league’s longest-tenured head coach by a decade, led the Spurs to a 1,388-821 overall regular-season record and a 170-114 record in the postseason. He has guided the Hall of Fame careers of several immortals, from league MVPs Duncan and David Robinson to All-NBA superstars Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard. Leonard remains active, but will be a Hall of Famer when he retires.

Now, with second-year center Victor Wembaynama already looking like an All-Star, it looks like San Antonio is primed for more postseason glory. Hopefully Popovich, now 75, will be back at the helm for the club’s next playoff run. Future Hall of Famer Chris Paul, now well past his All-NBA prime, joined the club this year to help set up Wembanyama for jaw-dropping alley-oops. San Antonio is currently 3-4 on the young season.

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