San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich took an unusual approach before his team’s game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, launching into a lengthy critique [1] of former President Donald Trump.
During a pre-game discussion on the significance of the upcoming presidential election between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Popovich took nearly 15 minutes to share his views, calling Trump a “pathetic individual” and criticizing his leadership style.
Popovich expressed concerns about Trump’s influence, saying, “He’s a small man who has to make everybody around him smaller so he thinks he’s gonna be bigger. And isn’t that the same thing we tell all of our kids in grade school? That’s not how you act. That’s not what you do.”
The coach, a long-time outspoken critic of Trump, referenced Harris’s performance in her debate with Trump and also took aim at some prominent Republican senators who have supported Trump, including Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).
Popovich voiced concern about the potential long-term impact of Trump’s presidency, saying, “Now, the danger follows the delusion, and our kids and grandkids are gonna have to live with what this guy puts out there.”
The NBA coach also expressed frustration over Trump’s appeal among young voters, particularly college students. “What does he say or do that they want to vote for him? They must think he’s a strong guy,” Popovich remarked. “This is the biggest whiner that ever walked the face of the earth. He’s like the poorest example of a fifth-grade bully I’ve ever seen. I mean, would you want your kids to act like he does?”
Popovich also called Trump a “scam artist” and urged voters to turn out on Election Day. “The ones that stay home and don’t vote are the ones that worry me because we need everybody to vote. I hope that they won’t stay home, that they’ll understand that this guy is a scam artist,” he said.
When Kamala bootlicker Gregg Popovich is talking about Trump during an NBA presser, you know things are going badly for Democrats.pic.twitter.com/914aLtLrQa [2]
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 27, 2024 [3]
Below is the full segment to provide more context:
🎥 Gregg Popovich spoke at length about the American elections between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Full answer 👇 pic.twitter.com/VYyKCaw8TT [4]
— Théo Quintard (@TheoQuintard) October 26, 2024 [5]
The Spurs coach has voiced strong opposition to Trump since the 2016 election, in which Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.
Trump later lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 race and is now in a close contest with Harris for the presidency as the campaign enters its final stages.