Every historical coach the NBA has produced can be filed under the manilla folder of “unlikely,” but perhaps none fits the profile more perfectly than Gregg Popovich.
Popovich doesn’t have the signature style, look, or even singular period of dominance like coaches who neatly fit into this category. His career has criss-crossed with others who were arguably more decorated, more famous.
The modern coach who comes to mind in this fictional argument, Phil Jackson, created a mystique around himself, bolstered by his ability to get the most out of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Jackson’s triangle offense spawned imitators and his smug off-the-floor demeanor amused some, annoyed others.