Collectors Responding to Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich Retiring

When the 2025-26 NBA season begins in October, there will be a void on the court within the game. On Friday, longtime San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (76) announced his retirement. As breaking news happened, collectors quickly responded on the secondary market.

The path from guard for the Air Force Falcons (1966-70) to all-time winningest NBA head coach was unlikely at best for Popovich. Serving his five years with the Air Force, during which time he was part of the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team, Coach Pop returned to Air Force in 1973 as an assistant under then head coach Hank Egan.

The first opportunity to become a head coach was provided by Pomona-Pitzer (Claremont, Cali.) in 1979, a role continued until 1988 with a one-year hiatus working under legendary college and NBA coach Larry Brown as an assistant with the Kansas Jayhawks.

When coach Brown landed the Spurs head coaching job in 1988, he hired Popovich as his lead assistant. After the entire staff was fired in 1992, Pop took a job under Don Nelson with the Golden State Warriors in 1992.

Under new ownership in 1992, the Spurs brought Popovich back hiring him as the general manager and vice president of basketball operations. Betting on himself in a gutsy move, Popovich fired coach Bob Hill on Dec. 10, 1996, taking over as head coach… and the rest as they say is history.

With center David Robinson already on the roster, the bad year during the 1996-97 season brought the first pick in the 1997 draft giving them center/power forward Tim Duncan. By the 1998-99 season, the Spurs won their first title with Coach Pop at the helm.

Popovich would win five championships as head coach (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014). Another honor, he was selected as the NBA Coach of the Year three times (2003, 2012, and 2014). In March 2022, Popovich passed his old boss Don Nelson for most regular season wins by a head coach (1,336). After 29 seasons on the sidelines, Coach Pop amassed a career win-loss record of 1,422-869.

Health issues started to affect Coach Pop on the court taking a leave from the team in November of 2024 after suffering a stroke.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a team statement. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

The good news for the Spurs and the NBA, Popovich will still be around the game taking over as San Antonio’s team president.

Throughout the month of April, there was a slow but steady stream of cards and Popovich memorabilia being sold on the secondary market. The 2017-18 Panini Prizm Red, White, & Blue Prizm, 2017-18 Panini Prizm Green, and 2017-18 Panini Prizm Fast Break Blue were among the more popular items moving along with signed basketballs and jerseys. The Red, White, & Blue Prizm selling for $9.99 on April 21 jumped to $12.49 on May 2 with the announcement. Even base 2017-18 Panini Prizm cards have been in demand with fans wanting to add the Hall of Famer to their collection.

The highest selling item on Friday was a Popovich signed Wilson basketball in silver permanent marker ink.

The asking price for the BGS authenticated Gregg Popovich autographed custom trading card is $115.