National Basketball Association

Spurs' Gregg Popovich explains why he's such a jerk during in-game interviews

Published Nov. 15, 2016 3:12 p.m. ET

Andrew Lynch

Gregg Popovich is one of the greatest coaches in basketball history. According to LeBron James, in fact, Pop is the very best we've ever seen. And a big part of the San Antonio Spurs coach's legend is his approach to in-game interviews.

If you've seen the Spurs on national TV, you know how gruff he can be. Pop doesn't abide questions he views as ridiculous, and he often gives short responses dripping in sarcasm that cut to the core of a reporter's soul. But in a wide-ranging feature on Popovich, the next coach of Team USA, he revealed why he can be such a jerk between quarters.

Via ESPN.com:

Not everyone would agree with Popovich's assessment that he's just having a good time, however. Two years ago, analyst/reporter Doris Burke told ESPN's Zach Lowe that she was nearly brought to tears by one particularly rough interview with the Spurs coach.

Unfortunately, that's the duality of Pop. As Hawks coach and former Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer explained:

Indeed, we've seen the soft side of Popovich in his interactions with famed sideline reporter Craig Sager, who is currently battling leukemia.

As for Pop's playing days, during which he missed out on joining the 1972 Olympic basketball team, Hall of Famer Larry Brown offered a modern, championship-winning comparison:

So there you have it: Gregg Popovich is the Matthew Dellavedova of NBA coaches. Sort of. Maybe that's really why he's so mean during interviews.