Report: Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Likely to Force Way Into Having LeBron James Meeting
It's now the start of the NBA postseason, which came earlier than expected courtesy of the Golden State Warriors sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in just four games in the finals. With LeBron James once again at the crossroads of his career, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is said to be planning to exert extra effort to meet with him.
As per the report of Marc Stein of the New York Times, Popovich is set to force his way into a meeting with the superstar, and perhaps try to lure him over to South Texas that way.
It's not just the Spurs coach, however — active recruitment for LeBron James seems to be an ongoing team effort once the finals ended, at least where Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray is concerned.
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Murray took to social media to share an edited photo of James in a Spurs uniform, almost right after the season ended for the Cleveland with a 108-85 loss to the Golden State Warriors in game 4 of the NBA Finals.
As for "forcing" his way in, it's the popular opinion that LeBron James and Gregg Popovich have a mutual respect for each other, so there's likely no need for that. In any case, the San Antonio Spurs is one of the better fits for James' talents should he go and decide to finally get out of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and from the Eastern Conference as a whole.
If the Spurs favorably resolve its ongoing situation with Kawhi Leonard, that gives the team a reasonable chance to match up with the Finals MVP Kevin Durant, an option that only very few teams have at the moment, as Bleacher Report pointed out.
Earlier in the season, Popovich has heaped praise on LeBron James, especially on the way he stays an active part of the community even outside the court.
"When you look at this guy, how many tens of millions of dollars he's given? Tens of millions of kids that see him, that are inspired by him. It's kind of like the Black Panther movie," Popovich said, as quoted by USA Today.
"He's very, very special," the Spurs coach stated.
While James is certainly one of Popovich's favorite players outside of his own Spurs team, LeBron considers the legendary coach one of the people he respects most of all.
"Pop is one of my all-time favorite people," James said in an interview with ESPN, a generous statement despite the Cleveland Cavaliers having just lost to the San Antonio Spurs at home that time.
