Gregg Popovich talks about his 5-year-old grandson’s first technical foul

The San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich has a rep as a hothead, having been been ejected for technical fouls at least 19 times over his career, according to Sports Illustrated.

Turns out running hot may run in the family.

The longtime coach’s 5-year-old grandson picked up his first career technical foul this month after tackling an opposing player during a game of hoops. Word of the youngster’s trouble came during the Spurs’ pre-game press conference Saturday, ahead of a matchup against the Golden State Warriors.

A reporter asked Popovich, whose grandson plays on the same youth team as Spurs legend Tim Duncan’s daughter, how the two kids measure up against each other.

“So, it’s his daughter, so we’re talking about ‘Can she be in the WNBA? [and] ‘Can he be in the NBA?’ She has a hell of a lot more chance than my grandson, who actually got a technical foul last week,” Popovich said, drawing laughs from media in attendance. “I don’t know if it’s in the blood or what, but it’s true.”

In addition to being known for his sheer number of technicals, Popovich also set the record for what Sports Illustrated called the fastest ejection in NBA history. During a 2019 face-off with the Denver Nuggets, he was bounced out 63 seconds into the game for arguing with a ref.

Pop will have an chance to break that record tonight when the Silver and Black take on the Golden State Warriors. Tipoff is at 7 p.m., and the game will air locally on Bally Sports Southwest.

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This article appears in Mar 6-19, 2024.