	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v SPURS

June 14, 2007

Gregg Popovich

CLEVELAND, OHIO: Game Four

COACH GREGG POPOVICH: First of all, I've got to commend Mike Brown and his staff with Danny Ferry, ownership, the whole Cavaliers organization, for what they did this season and what they put together so quickly. They've done an amazing job. It's not just blowing smoke at them or anything. I know those people very well, and they've done a hell of a job in a short period of time. So I'm thrilled for their success.
Obviously it's a great thrill to win a championship, and for us the happiest part was watching Michael Finley, who's been an unbelievable pro for a lot of years, and he was the epitome of happiness tonight. That made it worthwhile for all of us.

Q. Tony Parker talked this week about now an appreciation of how hard you rode him when he first got to San Antonio and considering how much you pushed him and all that. I was wondering about your thoughts on him winning the MVP in The Finals.
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Well, we talked about it immediately standing on that little stage. I reminded him that when we first gave him his first workout, we didn't think he was tough enough and we sent him home. And then we set up another interview, another workout where we stacked it and had some people go after him physically, and he was fantastic in that one. I reminded him of that, and he had a big laugh. And I said, "Now you're here standing on the stage with the Finals MVP trophy," and he just kept laughing. He couldn't believe it.
He's come a long way, and it's very satisfying to have been able to watch that progress in him.

Q. You've now won championships in four games, five games, six games and seven games. Is there one championship that stands out more than another, or are they all like your kids, each of them special?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: I wish I could have thought of that answer before you gave it. That would have made me look really good.
They are all different. Each championship has a personality of its own, it's got a few different people involved in it. Obviously watching Tim Duncan be a common thread through it all is especially satisfying and amazing to me that he's able to do what he does with that group.
Sometimes he's the best player, sometimes he's not. But he's the common denominator for the whole group.
This group is different and special from the other ones just because there's some different people on it. We had to go through a different process this season. We weren't very good in the beginning of the year, kind of lost our focus defensively, kind of got it back. So in that sense, I think these guys worked very hard to get something back that apparently they had lost.

Q. Could you please talk about Manu Ginobili's bounce-back game tonight?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Manu is a competitor. He might have a game like he had in Game 3 where a lot doesn't happen, but, you know, he continued to notice and rebound and play D and get some assists. But tonight offensively down the stretch, we went to him a couple times, called his number in a couple situations, and again, he's done what he did so many times, in Olympic games, in European championships, in NBA championships. He's just an ultimate competitor.

Q. The last two dynasties, Chicago and the Lakers, were broken up for a lot of different reasons, money, jealousy, egos. Your appreciation for the way you guys have been able to sustain this and the leadership here, to keep a lot of those things away that tend to tear up winning franchises?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: I think that is probably more than anything attributed to two things, one, our ownership under Peter Holt allows us to do our jobs. I think I mentioned in some interview along the way here, we've been together, I don't know, a decade or something like that now, and he's never said no to me about anything. Not one time have I gotten a no. He just trusts us to do our jobs and do what we do.
And secondly, I think that longevity is attributed to Timmy and the other guys we've tried to bring in who have a certain character, a character that's made up of just people who have gotten over themselves, people who care about the team more than an individual, and I think it shows in a lot of different ways, and it makes it easy to coach that group. It makes it easy for that group to get along because there are a lot of bus rides and plane rides, if they get along and are happy about each other's success. A good example would be Manu, an All-Star, coming off the bench, he actually does that. I'm still amazed, he does that. When I was in college I thought the coach was screwing me because he didn't start me and I didn't make the varsity until I was a junior. This guy is an All-Star. I asked, "Can you please sit on the bench." And he did it. When you have those kind of guys, it's something special.

Q. In January and February you challenged your guys when they were struggling by standards. Did you ever have a doubt that they'd respond?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: I guess I do, because all coaches to some degree we're sick and paranoid. So the thought went through my head, are they sick of listening to me, are they tired of hearing it? Have we run the gamut of every motivational thing or emotional button we can push? I thought about it because I didn't think they were listening, but I was trying for a while and then I got some help. We went to Milwaukee and they humiliated us there with a zillion points in the paint and other things. From that point on, film sessions and that type of thing, not trading anybody, making them stay, not going to trade, you guys are going down or you're getting it done together, but there will be no trades here. I think it helped us turn the corner.

Q. What bottle best complements a fourth title?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: That's a tough one (laughter). I don't think it ever changes. You know, you can't do better than Romani Canti (phonetic). There's some good Italians, too.

Q. The only thing that you've not been able to do during this run is repeat. Will this be a special motivation for next year?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: I don't give a shit (laughter). I apologize.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297