Some speculate that a return to coaching will prove difficult for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs have officially announced that head coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke on November 2nd at Frost Bank Center. According to the organization, Coach Pop has begun a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery. However, the timetable for his return to coaching remains uncertain.

Some believe Popovich has coached his last NBA game. He is 75 years old and a stroke, mild or not, is still a very, very serious medical situation. According to the San Antonio Express-News, the organization expects Mitch Johnson to be the team's head coach until at least the new year.

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Spurs general manager Brian Wright spoke to the media on Wednesday before the team took the floor against the Washington Wizards.

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Pop and his family. “It’s a difficult time for everyone,” Wright said. “When we walk in the building every day, we feel that leadership, we feel that presence, and when we don't have him, there's clearly a void and we miss him. At the same time, I'm extremely proud of the team, the team is made up of the players, the staff and everyone who stuck together during a difficult time and that's exactly what Coach Pop would expect from us and so, you know, it's up to all of us , to do our part, to play our part, to continue to lean on each other, support each other and be there for each other, and we look forward to the day when we can welcome him back, but you know, it takes that a whole village, and we all have an obligation to do that, but most importantly, making sure he has everything he needs and giving him the time and space to continue to recover, and we're happy “To get him back.”

When asked why the Spurs decided to release more information about Popovich's health now than they had, Wright said the team felt it was best to have time to process the situation.

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“In situations like this it is important to have time to understand exactly what is going on and over time you are able to talk about things transparently and give an update on where we are and Since we had time to absorb information, it was the right time to let everyone know where we were and what was going on, and time made it possible.”

Wright wouldn't elaborate on why the Spurs decided to hand the coaching duties to interim coach Mitch Johnson instead of someone like Brett Brown, who has more head coaching experience in the league, although he said the entire coaching group has more Having experience as a head coach, I did a great job.

“I think Mitch has done it and the whole team has done a phenomenal job of continuing to move forward, continuing to execute Pop's vision for the team and how we want to play and we play well in those moments and so has Brett. “ He has extensive corporate knowledge of what we do, why we do it and how we do it, as well as the standards to which we must operate, and he has provided outstanding support and support to Mitch and the staff as a whole. They’ve done a great job trying to continue to do what Pop has asked of this team from the beginning of the season until now.”

Wright also didn't want to comment on the medical part of the situation, but said the team is grateful to everyone involved in the medical emergency who helped Coach Popovich, who was involved.

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At least one doctor who specializes in strokes and the diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of diseases of the brain, spine and head and neck believes a return to coaching will prove a complicated path for Popovich.

Doctor Eduardo Murias, PhD NRXI, previously commented on the situation on Spanish sports site @PlanetaNBA, offering opinions derived from the limited information the Spurs released today.

“A stroke is a sudden neurological deficit, which means you suddenly can no longer move your arm or leg or speak. It means that part of the brain stops working, so you no longer do certain things. It is not the case that the entire brain fails, as in a coma or epilepsy, but only part of the brain. When this happens there are two reasons. Possible causes,” explains Murias.

“One is a cerebral hemorrhage, which bleeds into a part of the brain and causes that area to stop functioning, and another is an ischemic disease, in which an artery becomes blocked and cuts off blood supply to an area, causing “This one no longer works.”

According to Murias, whether the disease is ischemic or hemorrhagic, the implications are very different and would determine the treatment approach and outlook.

“Hemorrhagic stroke due to cerebral hemorrhage has a mortality rate of over 25% or 30%, and more than half of survivors often end up in some form of dependency. So if it is what we call a cerebral hemorrhage or what is commonly called a cerebral hemorrhage, that is, a hemorrhagic stroke, then the chances of returning to normal function, that is, to its normal state, are quite complicated or at least very unlikely “He can train again, especially if it is on the left side, and it affects his speech, both comprehension and speech.”

Doctor Murias believes that the team's official press release, indicating a rehabilitation process, suggests that the stroke, although mild, was not the result of blood clot ischemia or a “mini-stroke.”

“Most likely that means they need speech therapy or functional rehabilitation. If it is an ischemic stroke, the chances of recovery are better. And if he wants to continue coaching, he could potentially do so. With an acute neurological event like a stroke, the chances of returning to life, especially as an NBA coach, are very, very slim. It’s complicated because we talk about everything that has to do with stress and things like that.”

The doctor adds that it would not be difficult for any doctor to put him back in a state where he could be stressed or nervous again. The condition requires treatment, and sometimes treatment worsens when one is stressed or under great pressure, says the specialist.

Dr. Murias believes doctors treating Popovich are likely to recommend rest, especially since a stroke that affects the brain is much worse than one that affects the heart.

While Brian Wright and the Spurs have decided not to discuss further medical details, he and others say the organization holds Popovich in high regard and that he is in their prayers. “I don’t know that there’s another person who means as much to another organization, in sports or outside of sports, and he’s more than just a coach,” Wright said.

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