Gregg Popovich coached many great players in his many seasons at the helm of the San Antonio Spurs. That certainly includes Kawhi Leonard. The multi-time All-Star entered the NBA as a raw, defensively-talented wing and transformed into one of the best two-way players in modern NBA history under Popovich's tutelage.

Popovich won those five championships spread out over 15 years by helping create one of the most remarkable, if quiet, cultures of excellence in sports. If Pat Riley had the Heat Way (flashy, talked about, and well-celebrated) in Miami, the Pop Way was the opposite in San Antonio.

Gregg Popovich understood the world. That goes back long before the basketball world knew who he was. It probably can be traced to at least Popovich’s time at the U.S.