National Basketball Association

Is Gregg Popovich the greatest coach in NBA history?

Updated Mar. 12, 2022 12:12 a.m. ET

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Greatness in sports is often defined by winning, and Gregg Popovich has done a lot of it.

With five NBA championships to his name and six NBA Finals appearances as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, he is firmly in the conversation as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.

After breaking Don Nelson's all-time wins record, is he solidifying himself as the greatest of all-time? Shannon Sharpe doesn't see it as that cut and dry, believing Phil Jackson to still be the gold standard.

"Three times, he three-peated," Sharpe said Friday on "Undisputed."

"And the thing is, coach Pop's teams have never won back-to-back championships."

Phil Jackson has the NBA record for titles as a head coach with 11, winning three championships in a row on three separate occasions with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers (1991-1993, 1996-1998, 2000-2002), as well as another back-to-back title in 2009 and 2010 with the Lakers.

But while Jackson does hold a significant edge in championships, Popovich has him beat in other aspects. Popovich has the NBA record for 50-win seasons for a head coach with 18, while Jackson has 17 such seasons. He also has three Coach of the Year awards, whereas Jackson won one. 

And when it comes to international play, Popovich has an Olympic gold medal as the head coach of the USA men's national team, something Jackson has never accomplished.

Whether Popovich is the undisputed greatest coach of all-time is something that is subjective, but what can't be debated is the fact he has one of the greatest coaching resumes in NBA history.

And that grants him a seat at the table.

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