San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich toasts Tim Duncan before every dinner, Steve Kerr says

Gregg Popovich, the Hall of Fame head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, makes a toast to Tim Duncan every time he breaks bread with other people, according to fellow NBA coach Steve Kerr.

The humorous, although perhaps unsurprising, revelation came during an appearance last week by the Golden State Warriors’ Kerr on the NBA DNA Podcast, hosted by ESPN commentator Hannah Storm.

The episode focused on the Warriors’ meteoric climb from a young, inexperienced team to a dynasty under Kerr’s leadership. When speaking about his relationship with superstar Steph Curry, Kerr — who won championship rings while playing for Popovich and the Spurs in 1999 and 2003 — couldn’t help but draw parallels between Pop’s relationship with Tim Duncan.

“When I have dinner with Pop, when he has dinner with anybody, he starts every dinner with a toast to Tim Duncan,” Kerr said. “No matter what the context, he pours the wine and goes, ‘Here’s to Tim Duncan.’ And, it’s Pop’s way of saying, ‘We are all so dependent on the character and talent of our best players.”

Indeed, Popovich won five championships in 15 years with Duncan as his starting center and power forward in what’s considered one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Meanwhile, Kerr has won four championships in eight years with Curry playing as the Warriors’ starting point guard.

“Tim allowed him to have this run that he’s been on, and I would say the exact same thing about Steph,” Kerr said. “So, we’re lucky.”

Kerr, Curry and Team USA Basketball now have a chance to win a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, which are getting underway as of press time.

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This article appears in Best of San Antonio 2024.