On This Day: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sets the record for quickest ejection
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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is no stranger to records.
However, this was definitely a new one for the future Hall of Fame coach – and one that may never be broken.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich ejected 63 seconds into tonight’s game vs Nuggets.
Unofficially, this is the quickest ejection of an NBA head coach in history.
The record was previously held by Flip Saunders of the Wizards vs Celtics on Jan 2, 2012 (106 seconds)
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 4, 2019
Pop has had his fair share of bouts with the refs. And can you blame him?
After coaching 22 seasons in the NBA, you’re bound to disagree with the striped men and women a time or two.
But on April 3, 2019, in a game against the Denver Nuggets, Pop was sent to the showers after a mere minute and three seconds.
His first infraction happened when disputed a non-foul call on Nuggets’ forward Paul Millsap, earning him a technical by official Mark Ayotte. It seemed he didn’t learn his lesson, and was immediately handed another ‘T’ from official David Guthrie.
As Pop went out the door, his team went with him. San Antonio lost to Denver, 113-85.
Following the game, he was a man of few words when asked about his quick exit.
“You’ll have to ask the officials,” he said.
He did, however, join the media scrum when he crashed Nuggets’ coach Michael Malone’s postgame interview.
It was all fun as the two traded jokes about the newest addition to Pop’s record books.
COACH POP IS A NATIONAL TREASURE (via @HarrisonWind) pic.twitter.com/XfomrvJGnv
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 4, 2019
Malone: “We were just talking about an NBA record that was set tonight.”
Popovich: “What was the record? What happened?”
Malone: “Somebody got thrown out in 63 seconds.”
Popovich: “Are you serious? That person must have hit somebody. Somebody get hit tonight? Somebody get cursed at or anything?”
The ejection marked the second time that week Pop had been shown the door by the refs.
Classic Pop.
