SAN ANTONIO — Spurs’ Gregg Popovich and Keldon Johnson are bringing to San Antonio the gold medal after Team USA defeated France, 87-82, in the gold medal game.
The victory completes Popovich's personal Olympic journey.
He was cut from the 1972 U.S. Olympic basketball squad, which left him “devastated,” and he recently endured criticism for the team’s subpar play during exhibition play, including a loss to France early in the Olympic tournament.
The gold medal was the last thing left for Popovich to accomplish in his storied career. It will pair nicely with his five NBA championships and three NBA Coach of the Year awards.
As for Johnson, he earned another honor in his young pro basketball career.
He was initially asked to be a part of the 2021 U.S. Select Team roster only to see himself get called up to the National Team after several players could not make the trip to Japan.
In his short career, Johnson not only has become an Olympic gold medalist, he also was a 2021 NBA Rising Star and will be a focal point of the Spurs’ rebuild, which begins next season.
Twitter: @JeffGSpursKENS5
