SAN ANTONIO — Despite bringing wins to San Antonio, an All-Star, and leading the Spurs to the playoffs, it still wasn't enough for former Spur LaMarcus Aldridge to get fourth-quarter playing time under Gregg Popovich's watch when the team was throttling teams on the court.
Aldridge was a guest on the "Oddball Hoops" show and was discussing why he couldn't see himself becoming a coach now that he is retired.
He pointed to the fact that he could not see himself coaching because of how difficult he was as a player.
Case in point: His time in San Antonio and clashing with Popovich about late-game minutes.
Specifically, how the long-time San Antonio coach would not play him in the fourth period when the team was up big on the scoreboard.
However, that didn't matter to Aldridge who said he wanted to play to maintain his rhythm but Pop refused on the basis of resting him for the long season.
"That's when I got to San Antonio and we were winning 60 games that first year," Aldridge said. "And we were up 30 (points) at halftime every time and I wanted to play the fourth (period). Pop would fight me and be like 'No, you can't play the fourth.'
"I'm just like, 'I need my rhythm,' so like I want to go back in the game in the fourth."
However, looking back at Pop's decision to sit him in the final frame now makes sense to the former Spurs big man.
"You know that was the right way. To risk injury wouldn't have been smart but I would be so frustrated," he said. "We would kind of butt heads a little bit about wanting to go in for like two more minutes but you know it would never happen."
Said Aldridge: "I understand the big picture now."
Resting players, minimizing the risk of injury, and preserving their bodies for the long term are staples of Popovich's coaching style.
That approach allowed players to prolong their careers such as Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
It also is a credit to Popovich and why he is considered the best NBA coach in history.
As for Aldridge, there was an adjustment period when he joined the Spurs in 2015.
He requested a trade from the Spurs in 2017 before Popovich spoke with him to have a better understanding of his role and how to be coached.
After that, the pair enjoyed success.
He'd become a three-time NBA All-Star as a Spur and lead the team to four-straight playoff appearances (2016-19) before leaving San Antonio in 2021.
He can also add a lesson learned about player management from Popovich to his NBA resume should he ever change his mind and get into coaching basketball.
Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5