San Antonio Spurs' Jeremy Sochan expresses a heartfelt note to coach Gregg Popovich following the coaching news announcement

Fresh Take:

After three decades as the almighty ruler of the San Antonio Spurs' sideline, Gregg Popovich is finally hanging up his whistle, causing quite the stir among fans, media, and players alike, including current Spurs star, Jeremy Sochan.

Sochan, who's been part of the Spurs family since being drafted in 2022, took to social media (X) to express his love for Popovich with a heartfelt post: "Gotta love ya, Coach Pop!"

The Spurs selected Sochan with the ninth pick in the 2022 draft, and Popovich, in Sochan's second season, decided to shake things up by making him the team's point guard. Rather than the smooth transition one might expect, Sochan found himself in rough waters adjusting to the new role. Popovich, though, stuck like glue for months, and Sochan ended up dishing out an impressive 3.4 assists per game for the season.

Popovich also helped Sochan make like rain from the free-throw line. After finding success with assistant coach Brett Brown in some one-handed shooting drills, Popovich encouraged Sochan to go behind the arc with just the one peeper. To start his career, Sochan knocked down a little over 42% of his free throws. But from that point on, he sank a majority (over 78%) of his charity tosses, sending his rookie average soaring to 69.8%. The following season, while his percentage dipped below 70%, Sochan remained steady at 77.1% from the line.

Before Popovich passed the torch to Mitch Johnson, assistant coach Becky Hammon earned a shoutout for her contributions.

Sochan, despite being a mere pup at 21, has been a cornerstone of the Spurs' rebuild over the past couple of years. He was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2023 and has started nearly 150 games during his career.

Popovich's shift from the bench to the front office wraps up a 50-year coaching career. Popovich kicked off his coaching journey at Air Force, his alma mater, in 1973 as an assistant. After a stint at Pomona-Pitzer, he worked as an assistant for the Kansas Jayhawks, Golden State Warriors, and Spurs. Popovich spent four seasons as a Spurs assistant coach and returned to the team as general manager and vice president in 1994. He named himself the head coach halfway through the 1996-97 season and continued to lead the team for the next 29 seasons, despite health problems forcing him to take a leave of absence starting in November 2024.

With five NBA championships and a league-record 1,422 wins under his belt, Popovich stepped away from coaching with a legacy that few can rival. As he moves into his new role, the young Spurs core, led by De'Aaron Fox, Victor Wembanyama, and Stephon Castle, will need Sochan's steady hand to guide them through the next phase.

Jeremy Sochan, who was drafted by the Spurs in 2022 and now plays under the team's new coach, Mitch Johnson, started in a new role as the team's point guard last season after Popovich's departure.
Despite the challenges Sochan faced while adjusting to the point guard position, his performance impressed Popovich, particularly his shooting from the free-throw line.
After finding success with assistant coach Brett Brown's guidance, Popovich encouraged Sochan to attempt one-handed free throws, which significantly improved his charity tosses.
Now in his second season post-Popovich, Sochan's 77.1% free throw percentage remains impressive, a testament to the experiment carried out under the NBA legend's tutelage years ago.
As a promising young player for the Spurs who's been a significant part of the team's rebuild, Sochan follows in the footsteps of his former coach, who left behind a storied career in sports, basketball, and specifically the NBA, with five championships and a league-record 1,422 wins.