San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is known as a bit of a curmudgeon who dislikes speaking to the media about matters related to his team. He has found his voice in the current fray of politics, though. Once again, the coach took direct aim at President Donald Trump, this time in the wake of the president's comments falsely antagonizing predecessor Barack Obama about his calls to the families of fallen heroes. While speaking with The Nation, Popovich made one of the strongest condemnations possible of the current leader of the United States.
Trump a "soulless coward"
It didn't appear as if the Spurs coach had a premeditated statement to make about Trump. When Popovich reportedly called up Dave Zirin of The Nation, all he asked was that his comments be left on the record. He then launched into a rant about how divisive the rhetoric has been stemming from the president of the United States. He went as far as to say that he didn't have the words to express his disappointment, seemingly ending the conversation in Zirin's eyes.
Then, Popovich made his strongest statement yet, labeling Trump as a "soulless coward." He also referred to him as a "pathological liar." He continued to express the embarrassment of the Trump presidency and leaped to cast shame upon those who work with the president, aware of his bullying tactics and clueless ways.
The Spurs coach then hung up the phone, ending the one-way conversation.
Popovich's previous statements
Popovich has become one of the fiercest critics of Trump in a league full of figures who oppose the president. He has referred to him as an embarrassment and has come out against him on almost every major issue the Spurs coach has been asked - or simply volunteered - to speak on.
Just a few weeks ago, Popovich criticized the president for calling out NFL owners to fire players who kneel during the national anthem.
It's important to note that Popovich isn't just speaking as the coach of the San Antonio Spurs. He's also speaking as a proud veteran of the Air Force. He also served as an assistant coach for the United States men's basketball team for a long time before taking over as the team's head coach following the 2016 Summer Olympics; his voice matters.
He's now using that voice to speak against Donald Trump and all he stands for, putting his reputation on the line for a cause he simply can't ignore just because he's involved in athletics.
