“LeBron James knows more than all of you put together!”: When Gregg Popovich sided with the King amidst noise during the 2013 NBA Finals

Spurs’ Head Coach Gregg Popovich once stood up for LeBron James amidst criticism during the 2013 Heat-Spurs Finals

The NBA has been around for 75 years now. During that time, we have seen quite a few good players. Every once in a while, we get to witness great players, and more rarely, we get to see great coaches. One of the best at the coaching spots is Gregg Popovich. The San Antonio Spurs Head Coach has held his job for over 25 years. He joined as the Head Coach for the Spurs in 1997 and has been so ever since.

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Gregg Popovich has the second-most wins in NBA History and stands just one win behind to tie Don Nelson for the top spot. Back in 2013, Gregg Popovich and the Spurs were headed to their first NBA Finals in 6 years. There they were facing the LeBron James-led Miami Heat, a series that went on to 7-games. During that time, Pop talked to the media about LeBron James, and tried to shield him from all the criticism he was facing.

“Your opinions mean nothing to LeBron James”: Gregg Popovich

During the 2013 NBA Finals, there were a few moments where fans were questioning every decision LeBron James was making. These fans were making it very apparent that they were not happy with the Heat, despite being a superteam, were being taken to 7-games in the Finals. The noise got so loud that even Gregg Popovich, who was leading the Spurs, stood up and defended LeBron.

Pop said,

“He’s grown, he’s a grown man! He doesn’t need any of you telling him anything. LeBron knows more than all of you put together. He understands the game. If he makes a pass, and you all think he should’ve shot it, or he shoots it and you think he should’ve passed it. Your opinions mean nothing to him, as they should not. He’s a great player. His decisions are what they are to the game. All decisions do not work out. They did not work out for Micheal(Jordan), Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, or Kobe Bryant. You make a decision and that’s what you go with.”

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Well, Pop was right, LeBron trusted his gut, and the Heat ended up winning the 2013 Championship.