Gregg Popovich Once Took the Spurs to a Park in Sacramento to Rip Them a New One for Losing to the Kings

The San Antonio Spurs are on a losing streak — the team's longest since Gregg Popovich's inaugural season as head coach in 1996. Though fans can only hypothesize how the fiery coach is dealing with the series of losses, a recent article from The Athletic gives a glimpse of just how angry he can get.

While the Spurs are known for having franchise players that spend all — if not most — of their careers in San Antonio, the article looks at players who were with the Silver & Black for less than a year. Writer Jayson Jenks spoke to Damon Stoudamire and DerMarr Johnson, who described the time Popovich was so upset over the team's loss to the Sacramento Kings that he ripped them a new one.

In public.

At a park.

The former Spurs players said Popovich had the entire team get off their bus so he could speak his mind after the 2008 game. But first, Stoudamire said Pop asked a homeless man nearby if he could carry out their meeting. The coach made the team sit in the wet grass, even after some objected because they didn't want to get their clothes dirty.

"I'll buy you new clothes," Popovich said, according to Johnson. "Just sit in the damn grass."

Now, that's a power move.

According to the report, Popovich went down the line and told every player what he was doing wrong.

"Bruce Bowen, you're a prima donna," the former Spurs remembered Popovich saying. "You don't play defense anymore like people say you do."

Maybe the Kings are still a sore subject for Popovich. In March, the coach was ejected from the team's matchup against Sacramento after arguing with the refs.

Gregg Popovich had to be held back as he was tossed for arguing with officials. pic.twitter.com/2ZdmVTky9p

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 1, 2019

Don't you ever change, Pop.

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