Havlicek the Only Picture in Popovich’s Office

Gregg Popovich doesn’t overcomplicate basketball, so it makes sense his personal space would be simplistic too.

The San Antonio Spurs head coach keeps just one picture inside his office. It doesn’t depict his NBA championship celebrations or moments shared with his future Hall of Famers.

“When you go down to the arena, coaches have a little office where you can sit and think about the game, and work yourself up into a lather, and think about things that confuse the issue and forget that it’s just basketball,” Popovich explained recently.

“In that room, there’s a chair and there’s a table and there’s a lamp,” Popovich said. “There’s one picture on the wall and it’s been there for the last 18, 20 years. That’s John Havlicek, so I do think about the legacy here.”

Popovich had the picture in his office while coaching at Pomona-Pitzer in California. He brought it with him to San Antonio when he joined the Spurs.

Havlicek is an example of winning basketball. During his 16-year Hall of Fame career with the Boston Celtics, he captured eight NBA championships, earned 13 All-Star selections and was named Finals MVP among other accolades.

For all the accomplishments Popovich has accumulated himself – five titles, three Coach of the Year honors and recently being named head coach of USA Basketball Men’s National Team, to name a few – he recalled being tongue-tied when he spoke with Havlicek in his office.

“I was privileged and honored one time [when] he was in our gym for something,” Popovich said. “He came back to my office and sat across from me and we got to talk a bit. I …. stammered and that kind of thing and just stared at him and talked to him a little bit. I’m sure he saw [the picture] because it was behind me on the wall.”

With significance like that, Popovich doesn’t need more than one.