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Spurs and Thunder star in NBA’s Western Conference Finals: 10 extra dimensions

The clash of the Spurs and Thunder in the NBA’s Western Conference finals may fly a bit under the national radar when it opens Sunday. Here are 10 factors that make this showdown intriguing.

9. Top-drawer coaches

  • By Ross Atkin Staff

San Antonio’s Popovich and OKC’s Scott Brooks have earned reputations as two of the best coaches in the NBA. Popovich the four championship rings and is the longest-tenured head coach in any of the four major pro leagues (NBA, MLB, NFL, and NHL), with 16 years at the Spurs’ helm.

His success has occurred despite having never played in the NBA. Although a good player at the Air Force Academy, by the time he finished his five-year service commitment, he decided to try coaching. He served as an assistant at Air Force before taking his first head job at Pomona-Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif., where he turned the program around during his eight years there. In 1988, he became a Spurs assistant, launching his successful NBA career. 

Unlike Popovich, Brooks has NBA playing experience as a point guard for seven different teams over 11 years. Brooks had assistant jobs with Denver, Sacramento, and Oklahoma City before being named the Thunder’s interim coach 13 games into the 2008-2009 season.  By the end of the next season, he had earned the Red Auerbach NBA Coach of the Year Award.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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