Gregg Popovich is not someone who is light on his words. No matter who he is talking to, he always speaks his mind. When even the media reporters are scared of his responses, it’s not surprising to hear that he has been very direct with his players as well. Having played three years under Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs, this former NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers shares a hilarious story of the 74-year-old roasting him mid-game.
Even though Richard Jefferson had to hear some cunning words, he is truly grateful for all the valuable lessons he learned from Popovich that helped him extend his career.
Gregg Popovich was not kind to Richard Jefferson
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In a recent episode of the podcast Road Trippin, Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye were joined by Zach Collins, who plays for the Spurs. This led to Richard Jefferson talking about his time playing under the great Gregg Popovich.
Richard Jefferson shared the story of what happened when he was taken out of a game. So Richard was on the bench, and former Spurs guard Gary Neal was on the court. Neal took consecutive bad shots which made Popovich frustrated.
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Seeing this, Popovich went towards Richard Jefferson and told him, “See those two crappy shots from Gary?! I’d put you back in the game, but you’d probably do the same s***!” This left the former Nets star in disbelief.
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Jefferson was shocked to hear this, and after the game, he told Gary Neal what happened. But this made him reveal to Jefferson that Popovich did the same thing to Gary all the time about Richard. But he is always grateful for what Popovich has done for his career.
Extending his career because of Gregg Popovich
Richard Jefferson was one of the leading scorers when he played for the New Jersey Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks. He used his athleticism to get to his spot and score. It was only when he went to the Spurs that he started developing his jump shot. This helped him prolong his career in the NBA. He is always grateful to Popovich for pushing him to do it.
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After winning an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Richard Jefferson retired from the league in 2020. Following his retirement, he has been working as a media analyst for the NBA. With his mannerisms and hilarious ways in which he explains things, he is one of the funniest and most liked presenters in the NBA.