Chattin' with 'Pop'

So I found myself watching another NBA playoff game the other night. Cynthia was practicing handbells and I was just sitting there watching TV.

Lo and behold, another NBA playoff game was on. The NBA advertises 40 games in 40 nights on TNT. So I wasn’t real surprised.

The San Antonio Spurs were playing the New Orleans Hornets (at least, I think that’s their mascot). I thought, why not? Turned out to be a very entertaining game. I stuck with it to the end, even after Cynthia got home from practicing.

Spurs are the defending NBA champions, and they were down 2-0 in the series with the New Orleans.

I remembered the time Greg Popovich, the Spurs coach, came to Kilgore College for a basketball camp. Larry Brown, then the Spurs coach – Popovich was his assistant – so I thought I would go over for a little interview time.

Turns out, Larry Brown wasn’t into talking a whole lot, so I spent some time with ‘Pop.’ He was interesting to talk to, had a lot to say and I got some pictures, too. Pop became the head coach of the Spurs the very next season, so I’ve been a little intrigued ever since.

Brown is a nomad of sorts around basketball always on the move. In fact, he just was named the head coach of, well … I don’t know exactly where, since I don’t keep up the NBA.

I did hear the announcers say Pop has won four tittles in the last nine seasons, something of a mini-dynasty, it seems.

I told Cynthia I was interested because I had once talked to Pop, though I don’t even remember when it was. If I was real interested, I would research a little and find out when he took the helm, then I would no how long ago I interviewed him. If I was truly interested, that is.

But I’m not.

The Spurs won, BTW, something like 103-92. That’s just a guess.