Gregg Popovich Delivers Motivational Speech to Spurs Before Game 3 NBA Finals Victory
Gregg Popovich, now serving as San Antonio's basketball president after a 2024 stroke ended his coaching career, boarded the Spurs' charter plane before Game 3 of the NBA Finals and delivered a roughly 10-minute motivational speech to the team. The Spurs had fallen behind 2-0 in the series after losing both home games, and Popovich used an unexpected runway delay to remind players they could still turn the series around. San Antonio went on to beat the New York Knicks 115-111 at Madison Square Garden, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Before the San Antonio Spurs departed Texas for New York ahead of Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals, legendary former head coach Gregg Popovich boarded the team's charter plane and addressed the group during an unplanned delay caused by a flat tire on another aircraft. Popovich, 77, spoke to the full team for approximately 10 minutes and then spent an additional 20 minutes in individual conversations with players and coaches, including time seated next to superstar Victor Wembanyama. Veteran point guard De'Aaron Fox told The Athletic that Popovich's core message was that the team had dug itself into a hole but could still climb out, urging the players to play with confidence and remember why they had earned a spot in the Finals. Fox also noted that Popovich's words carry particular weight because he does not address the group without purpose. The Spurs responded with a strong performance: Wembanyama posted 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three blocks, while Stephon Castle added 23 points, and Fox hit a clutch midrange jumper late in the fourth quarter to seal the 115-111 victory. Popovich, who guided San Antonio to five championships between 1999 and 2014, had his coaching career cut short by a stroke in November 2024 and now holds the title of basketball president, with Mitch Johnson serving as head coach. Game 4 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
How coverage differed
Newsweek presented the story in a straightforward, play-by-play manner focused on the speech and game result, while the New York Post provided additional narrative detail — including the flat tire delay that created the opportunity for the speech and Fox's quote emphasizing Popovich's selective use of team addresses — lending the story a more dramatic, human-interest framing.
What different sources said
- New York PostRight
Gregg Popovich’s impassioned plane speech to Spurs gave them hope against Knicks
- NewsweekCenter
Gregg Popovich Delivered Rousing Speech to Spurs Before Game 3: Report
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