FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Sports

Gregg Popovich Tells Tony Parker He's "Doing Great" in the Weirdest Way Imaginable

This just might be the window into his genius that we've all been looking for.

No one has ever questioned Gregg Popovich's coaching prowess. And why should they? I mean, the man robbed a senior citizens home of its residents, put them on an NBA court, and is still somehow a 20-year strong championship contender—even and especially against this year's young and superlative Warriors. So what would you give to take just a glance inside the technical, spiritual, and psychological NBA genius that is Pop? Probably everything.

Well, this brief little window into his majesty in last night's game against the Cavs—provided by courtside microphones—shows a Popovich who is neither laying down mystical brilliance, nor chalking up a complicated set of X's and O's. Looking ever like the Hunger Games' President Snow, Pop is just really annoying, waving down his players when they seem to be perfectly content on playing basketball, making sure to tell them that they're "doing great."

Tony Parker kindly goes out of his way—with a stutter-step—to hear what he imagines might be some kind of important strategic information, only to hear Pop, seated on the bench, tell him, "you're doing great!" Understandably, Parker walks away with a "WTF" look on his face. Pop, on the other hand, is left with the stony-faced gaze of a serial killer, completely unaware of any social cues, and his team just keeps calmly dicing up the Cavs like they have been taught—nay, encouraged—to. And that, my friends, is the secret of the Spurs.