By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-11 14:36:52
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
2024年12月6日星期五，在圣安东尼奥举行的NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队代理主教练米奇·约翰逊在上半场指挥。(美联社照片/Eric Gay)
十几岁的德章泰·默里(Dejounte Murray)最后一次进入青少年拘留所时，他意识到自己对接下来的事情有三种选择。
他可以继续走下去，最终作为成年人被永久地关进监狱。他可能会死在西雅图南区帮派横行的街头。
或者他可以打电话给特里叔叔。
在那些日子里，对于15岁的默里来说，特里·汤普森(Terry Thompson)是他最可靠的监护人。挂断电话后，特里叔叔觉得在拯救他那任性的侄子这件事上，他只有一个选择。
他打电话给米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)。
“他来接我了，”现在效力于新奥尔良鹈鹕队的马刺前选秀球员默里说。“他真的帮助我走上了正轨。”
一个多月前，38岁的约翰逊被任命为马刺队的代理主教练，以接替因轻微中风而无法执教的格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)。当时，约翰逊的名字在普通的NBA球迷中并不为人所知。
然而，约翰逊的名字在默里的生活中却有着重要的意义。
“他对我来说意味着整个世界，”默里说。
2012年，约翰逊从斯坦福大学毕业几年后回到家乡西雅图，全身心投入到培养了他的篮球事业中。
他的父亲约翰于1982年结束了在超音速队的12年NBA职业生涯，并留在了西雅图。米奇·约翰逊在西雅图的奥迪高中(O’Dea High School)担任球星，之后前往斯坦福大学，在那里他是四年的首发球员。
在大学毕业后，约翰逊在发展联盟的塔尔萨66人队的试训未能成功，于是他回到西雅图，着眼于教练工作。
就这样，他认识了默里的特里叔叔，最终也认识了默里。
约翰逊把默里从青少年拘留所里救了出来，默里从11岁起就断断续续地住在那里。更重要的是，他给了默里一个永远不再回去的理由。
2024年12月8日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥：在冰霜银行中心举行的比赛结束时，新奥尔良鹈鹕队的德章泰·默里（5号）祝贺圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克多·文班亚马（1号）。
在雷尼尔海滩高中二年级开始的时候，默里的篮球天赋在南区的篮球迷中已经得到了认可。
为了让默里保持专注，约翰逊专门为他组建了一支AAU球队——西雅图扶轮队。
默里搬去和特里叔叔住在一起，但有时也会在约翰逊家借宿。
“我们从来没有谈论过进入NBA，”现年28岁的默里说。“只是为了让我远离街头，做正确的事情，看看这会把我带到哪里。从来都不是为了‘你会赚到数百万美元’。”
在华盛顿大学打了一个赛季之后，马刺队在2016年的选秀大会上以第29顺位选中了默里。
球队官员很快意识到，一个像默里这样出身贫寒的年轻球员，如果能得到一个熟悉且信任的面孔的帮助，可能会更好地适应NBA。这就是为什么约翰逊被聘为马刺队的教练组成员，最初担任发展联盟的助理教练。
约翰逊不愿透露他与默里关系的细节，只是说他为他的这位昔日弟子的成就感到骄傲。
“我把它比作任何一个看到别人成功的人际关系，”约翰逊说。
可以公平地说，如果不是因为默里，约翰逊可能不会有今天的地位，代替一位名人堂成员执教。
默里认为，如果不是约翰逊，他可能已经不在人世了。
“我欠他太多了，”默里说。
天生的领袖
兰德里·菲尔兹(Landry Fields)仍然欠约翰逊7美元。
早在菲尔兹成为亚特兰大老鹰队的总经理之前，他还是斯坦福大学一个初出茅庐的新生，正在寻找他的下一顿饭。
早在约翰逊成为波波维奇在马刺队著名的奢华球队晚宴的座上宾之前，他就意识到了与队友们一起吃饭的价值。
这就是为什么在2007年大学第一学期开始前不久，菲尔兹和约翰逊一起坐在加州帕洛阿尔托一家麦当劳的免下车通道里，徒劳地伸手去拿他的钱包。
“不知不觉中，他已经为车里的每个人都付了钱，”菲尔兹说。
在还没有“姓名、形象和肖像权协议”的时代，作为大学生运动员，没有人有多少钱，包括约翰逊。尽管如此，菲尔兹还是坚持要自己付钱。
“不用了，你留着吧，”约翰逊告诉他。“等你到了NBA，你可以还给我。”
在菲尔兹作为大学生参加他的第一场比赛之前，他已经了解了一些关于他球队首发控球后卫的事情。
“这家伙值得信赖，而且他关心他的队友，”菲尔兹说。“他很早就有了这种领导气质。”
2009年2月5日星期四，在加州斯坦福举行的NCAA大学篮球比赛上半场，斯坦福后卫米奇·约翰逊（1号）在队友后卫兰德里·菲尔兹（2号）面前抢到篮板，对手是华盛顿州立大学。
菲尔兹和约翰逊在一起的时间越长，他就越意识到另一件事。这个孩子比菲尔兹认识的任何人都更了解篮球的战术，包括他的一些教练。
那时候和约翰逊一起看NBA比赛就像是在看水晶球。他经常能在一次进攻开始之前就预测到会发生什么。
“当他谈论篮球时，我学会了不要和他争论，”菲尔兹说。“我总是会输。”
虽然菲尔兹最终在2010年作为纽约尼克斯队的二轮秀进入了NBA，但约翰逊还没有向他收取巨无霸的费用。
“总有一天，”菲尔兹说，“我会偷偷给他7美元。”
声名鹊起
即使威尔·哈迪(Will Hardy)不知道约翰逊从小打什么位置，从他们见面的那一刻起，这一点也是显而易见的。
“他彻头彻尾就是个控球后卫，”这位犹他爵士队的主教练说。
当约翰逊在2016年来到马刺队时，哈迪已经在马刺队的教练组工作了六年。他立刻对这位新人印象深刻。
“当你遇到真正的控球后卫时，你会惊叹于他们如何一直知道所有五个人的位置，”哈迪说。“他是个非常棒的教练。”
与此同时，伊梅·乌度卡(Ime Udoka)最初认识约翰逊时，他是一位热情——尽管略逊一筹——的网球伙伴。
现在担任休斯顿火箭队主教练的乌度卡，在约翰逊出现的那天是波波维奇的板凳助理教练之一。两人经常在休息日去网球场。
在乌度卡的记忆中，这不是一场公平的较量。“我每次都赢他，”乌度卡说。
约翰逊证明了他是一位比网球运动员更好的篮球教练。
到2019年，他已经从奥斯汀的发展联盟调到了圣安东尼奥的波波维奇教练组。一年后，约翰逊被提升到前排板凳席，因为球队传奇人物蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)在他担任助理教练的唯一一个赛季后重新退休。
这是约翰逊第一次被委以取代传奇人物的任务，但这并不是最后一次。
2024年10月26日星期六，在冰霜银行中心举行的与圣安东尼奥马刺队的NBA比赛下半场，休斯顿火箭队教练伊梅·乌度卡与球员们在场上交谈。马刺队以109-106击败了火箭队。
和与马刺队有联系的其他人一样，当约翰逊被选中顶替波波维奇时，乌度卡并不感到震惊——即使教练组中还有另一位有主教练经验的助理教练布雷特·布朗(Brett Brown)。
“他在斯坦福大学的时候是一位非常聪明的球员，你看到这一点转化成了教练能力，”乌度卡说。“波波倚重他，他能够一路晋升，这并不奇怪。”
即使在至少暂时接替波波维奇之前，约翰逊也开始在NBA中悄悄地为自己树立声誉。
去年夏天，在波波维奇的推荐下，约翰逊被邀请协助美国队教练史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)在拉斯维加斯的一个迷你训练营中执教，之后球队将前往巴黎参加奥运会。
除了科尔之外，美国篮球队的教练组还包括迈阿密热火队教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉(Erik Spoelstra)和洛杉矶快船队教练泰伦·卢(Ty Lue)。这三个人都在他们的执教履历上拥有NBA总冠军。
“如果你看看你周围的人的照片，你很容易就能看出谁格格不入，”约翰逊说。“那就是我。”
意外的晋升
约翰逊离开拉斯维加斯前往马刺队的训练营时，丝毫没有意识到他的生活即将发生多大的变化。
11月2日下午，在马刺队即将迎战明尼苏达森林狼队的几个小时前，波波维奇在冰霜银行中心突发中风。
几乎没有任何预兆，约翰逊被要求接替这位NBA历史上胜场最多的教练。尽管被赋予了代理主教练的头衔，但约翰逊坚持认为教练组的工作方式仍然是协作式的。
“我认为自从我来到他身边，波波一直强调的一件事就是我们作为一个团队来完成它，”约翰逊说。“这有点老套，但如果你每天都和我们在一起，这就是我们长期以来的运作方式。”
马刺队在那晚以113-104击败了森林狼队，在约翰逊的带领下，他们取得了10胜9负的战绩。他们的总战绩是12胜12负，这是自2020-21赛季以来，球队最晚达到或超过50%胜率的赛季。
马刺队宣布75岁的波波维奇无限期缺阵，因为他正在康复中，但他们也为这位长期执教的教练在某个时候回归留下了可能性。目前，约翰逊的目标是带领马刺队完成他所说的“定期计划”。
“我认为米奇——以及整个教练组——在继续前进，继续执行波波对球队的愿景和我们想要的比赛方式方面做得非常出色，”总经理布莱恩·莱特(Brian Wright)说。
当老将前锋哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)在7月份从萨克拉门托国王队被交易到马刺队时，其中一个好处是有机会与波波维奇重聚，波波维奇是他在2019年国际篮联世界杯上的美国队教练。
在他效力圣安东尼奥的六场比赛后，32岁的巴恩斯发现自己正在为一位比他大不了多少的替补助理教练打球。
“米奇最让我印象深刻的是他的自信，”巴恩斯说。“在任何一段时间内，这都是一个很难坐稳的位置。他带着最大的自信来了。无论输赢，他都保持着非常平和的心态，这是最令人印象深刻的事情。”
然而，通常说话轻声细语的约翰逊似乎正在变得越来越有底气。
在一系列最近的比赛开局缓慢后，约翰逊感到疲惫不堪，在上周以139-124输给芝加哥公牛队的比赛中场休息时，人们看到他严厉地批评他的球队。当天晚上晚些时候，约翰逊因为与裁判争论而吃到了他职业生涯中的第一个技术犯规。
或许可以说，就是在那一天，他正式成为了马刺队的代理主教练。
“他准备比赛的方式，他与球队交谈的方式，他越来越清楚了，”文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)说。“他在暂停时和我们说话的方式，他影响我们的方式都更加适应了。”
“剩下的就是历史了”
一个多月前，圣安东尼奥的球迷们还很难从人群中认出约翰逊。
在周日主场迎战新奥尔良鹈鹕队之前，一群年轻人在通往马刺队更衣室的通道附近聚集，迎接球员们进入球场热身。
其中一个孩子认出了向他们跑来的那张脸。
“是米奇·约翰逊！”孩子惊呼道。
两个男孩伸出手来击掌。约翰逊也伸出手回应。
约翰逊能否习惯这一切的问题仍然很复杂。
是的，他一直梦想着成为一名NBA主教练。是的，他很享受挑战和代替波波维奇的机会。
约翰逊更愿意把现在的工作看作是替他的老板保住位置，希望他能回来。
“我以前执教过夏季联赛，我曾经坐在替补席后面，我也在发展联盟待过，”约翰逊说。“所有这些都有助于球队。这只是在不同角色中帮助球队获胜的又一个机会。”
然而，不可否认的是，约翰逊担任马刺队代理教练的经历极大地丰富了他的履历。下次NBA出现主教练空缺时，他的名字肯定会被人提起。
“无论是在（圣安东尼奥）这里还是在其他地方，他都会成为NBA的主教练，”菲尔兹说。“他是个优秀的人。”
2012年的那一天，当默里在西雅图的一个青少年拘留所里等待着不确定的未来时，他无法预料自己即将遇到一位未来的NBA教练。
他首先把约翰逊视为一根救命稻草，然后是导师，最终是朋友。
两人几乎每天都打电话或发短信。本周，当默里的鹈鹕队来到冰霜银行中心比赛时，两人在终场哨响后长时间拥抱。
“我15岁左右的时候，人生正处于一个艰难的阶段，”默里说。“我试图改变我的生活。一切——从知识、纪律教育、是非观念，到为我组建AAU球队——他都支持我。我当时处境艰难。他来了，剩下的就是历史了。”
2024年12月8日，周日，在圣安东尼奥举行的NBA篮球比赛中，新奥尔良鹈鹕队的德章泰·默里试图传球，对手是圣安东尼奥马刺队。圣安东尼奥以121-116获胜。(美联社照片/Darren Abate)
San Antonio Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson gestures to point guard Chris Paul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Dallas. Dallas won 110-93. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
San Antonio Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson watches San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) warm up before the Spurs’ home game against the Sacramento Kings at Frost Bank Center on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 8: Dejounte Murray #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans grabs a rebound against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 08: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs and Dejounte Murray #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans poses at the end of the game at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
New Orleans Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray (5) shoots against San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 01: San Antonio Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson speaks with Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs during their game against the Sacramento Kings in the first half at Golden 1 Center on December 01, 2024 in Sacramento, California.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Interim head coach Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs gestures at referee Nick Buchert #3 during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson reacts after a play during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in San Antonio, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 6: Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs confers with acting head coach Mitch Johnson during game against the Sacramento Kings in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 6, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy signals to his players during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
点击查看原文：How Mitch Johnson became a stand-in for Spurs legend Gregg Popovich
How Mitch Johnson became a stand-in for Spurs legend Gregg Popovich
San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in San Antonio, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
The final time a teenaged Dejounte Murray landed in juvenile detention, he realized he had three choices about what might come next.
He could continue on a path that would lead to a more permanent stay in the criminal justice system as an adult. He could wind up dead on the gang-infested streets of Seattle’s South End.
Or he could call Uncle Terry.
In those days, Terry Thompson was the closest thing the 15-year-old Murray had to a reliable parental guardian. After hanging up the phone, Uncle Terry figured he had one choice when it came to rescuing his wayward nephew.
He called Mitch Johnson.
“He came and got me,” said Murray, a former Spurs draft pick now with New Orleans. “He helped really get my life on track.”
Johnson, 38, was not well known among casual NBA fans when, a little more than a month ago, he was named the Spurs’ acting head coach after Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke.
Johnson’s name, however, has long carried weight in Murray’s life
“He means the world to me,” Murray said.
In 2012, Johnson was back home in Seattle after graduating from Stanford a few years earlier, ensconced in the basketball scene that had helped raise him.
His father, John, finished a 12-year NBA career with the SuperSonics in 1982 and stayed put. Mitch Johnson starred at Seattle’s O’Dea High School before heading to Stanford, where he was a four-year starter.
After a post-college audition with the G League’s Tulsa 66ers did not pan out, Johnson returned to Seattle with an eye toward coaching.
That is how he met Murray’s Uncle Terry, which is eventually how he met Murray.
Johnson got Murray out of juvenile detention, where he had been an on-and-off again resident since age 11. More importantly, he gave Murray a reason never to go back.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 08: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs is congratulated buy Dejounte Murray #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans at the end of the game at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
By the dawn of his sophomore year at Rainier Beach High, Murray’s basketball talent was already established among the hoop heads in South End.
To keep Murray focused, Johnson organized an AAU team built specifically for him, Seattle Rotary.
Murray moved in with Uncle Terry, but at times crashed with Johnson.
“We never talked about going to the NBA,” said Murray, now 28. “It was just getting me out of the streets and doing the right things and seeing where that would take me. It was never about, ‘You’re going to make millions of dollars.’ “
The Spurs selected Murray 29th in the 2016 draft, after one college season at Washington.
Team officials quickly realized a young player of Murray’s hardscrabble background might better acclimate to the NBA with the aid of a familiar, trusted face. That is why Johnson was hired to the Spurs’ staff, initially as a G League assistant.
Johnson prefers to keep the details of his relationship with Murray private, except to say he is proud of how far his former protégé has come.
“I would correlate it to anybody who’s had a personal relationship seeing somebody have success,” Johnson said.
It is fair to say Johnson might not be where he is today, standing in for a Hall of Famer, if not for Murray.
Murray believes he might not be on the planet if not for Johnson.
“I owe him so much,” Murray said.
A born leader
Landry Fields still owes Johnson $7.
Long before Fields was the Atlanta Hawks’ general manager, he was a fresh-faced freshman at Stanford in search of his next meal.
Long before Johnson was a guest at Popovich’s famed froufrou team dinners with the Spurs, he sensed the value of breaking bread with teammates.
Which is how just before the start of his first college semester in 2007, Fields came to be sitting next to Johnson in the drive through of a McDonald’s in Palo Alto, Calif., reaching in vain for his wallet.
“Before you know it, he’s already paying for everybody in the car,” Fields said.
As college kids in an era before Name, Image and Likeness agreements, none of the athletes had much money, including Johnson. Still, Fields insisted on paying his way.
“No, you keep it,” Johnson told him. “When you get to the NBA, you can pay me back.”
Before Fields had played in his first game as a collegian, he had already learned something about his team’s starting point guard.
“This dude can be trusted, and he cares about his teammates,” Fields said. “He had this leadership gravitas early on.”
Stanford guard Mitch Johnson (1) gets the rebound in front of teammate guard Landry Fields (2) against Washington State in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009.
The more time Fields spent around Johnson, the more he realized something else. This kid understood more about the Xs and Os of basketball than anyone else Fields knew, including some of his coaches.
Watching NBA games with Johnson back then was like peering into a crystal ball. He could often predict what was going to happen on a possession before it even began.
“When he talked basketball, I learned not to debate him,” Fields said. “I would always lose.”
Though Fields eventually made the NBA as a second-round pick of the New York Knicks in 2010, Johnson has yet to bill him for his Big Mac.
“One of these days,” Fields said, “I’m going to slip him $7.”
Making a name
Even if Will Hardy did not know the position Johnson had played growing up, it would have been obvious from the moment they met.
“He is a point guard through and through,” the Utah Jazz coach said.
Hardy had already been a member of the Spurs’ staff for six years when Johnson arrived in 2016. He was immediately impressed by the new guy.
“It is amazing when you come across real point guards, how they know where all five people are supposed to be all of the time,” Hardy said. “He’s a hell of a coach.”
Ime Udoka, meanwhile, first knew Johnson as an eager – albeit slightly overmatched – tennis partner.
Now the head coach in Houston, Udoka was one of Popovich’s bench assistants the day Johnson showed up. The two would often spend off days on the tennis court.
To Udoka’s recollection, it was not a fair fight. “I beat him every time,” Udoka said.
Johnson proved to be a better basketball coach than tennis player.
By 2019, he had been moved from the G-League in Austin to Popovich’s staff in San Antonio. A year later, Johnson was elevated to the front of the bench, as franchise great Tim Duncan returned to retirement following his lone season as an assistant coach.
It was the first time Johnson would be tasked with replacing a legend, but not the last.
Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka talks to players on the court during the second half of their NBA game with the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. The Spurs beat the Rockets 109-106.
Like others with ties to the Spurs’ organization, Udoka was not shocked when Johnson was tabbed to fill in for Popovich – even with an assistant with prior head coaching experience, Brett Brown, also on the staff.
“He was a very heady player back in the day when he was at Stanford, and you saw that translating into coaching,” Udoka said. “It was not a surprise that Pop leaned on him and he was able to move his way up.”
Even before at least temporarily taking the reins from Popovich, Johnson began to quietly create a reputation for himself across the NBA.
Last summer, on Popovich’s recommendation, Johnson was asked to assist Team USA coach Steve Kerr at a mini-camp in Las Vegas before the squad traveled to the Paris Olympics.
In addition to Kerr, the USA Basketball staff included Miami coach Erik Spoelstra and Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue. All three boast NBA championships on their coaching register pages.
“If you looked at a picture of who was around you could easily see who was not the guy that fit,” Johnson said. “Which would be myself.”
An unexpected promotion
Johnson left Vegas for Spurs’ training camp with no inclination how much his life was about to change.
On the afternoon of Nov. 2, a few hours before the Spurs were to face the Minnesota Timberwolves, Popovich suffered a stroke at the Frost Bank Center.
With next to no notice, Johnson was asked to take over for the winningest coach in NBA history. Though given the acting head coach tag, Johnson insisted the staff’s approach remain collaborative.
“I think one thing that Pop has always stressed since I’ve been around him is that we’ve done it as a group,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of cliché but if you’re around us daily, it’s how we’ve operated for a long time.”
The Spurs beat Minnesota 113-104 that night, and have gone 10-9 with Johnson at the fore. They are 12-12 overall, the latest into a season the team has been at .500 or better since 2020-21.
The Spurs have ruled the 75-year-old Popovich out indefinitely as he recovers, but have left the door ajar for the longtime coach to return at some point. For now, Johnson has aimed to guide the Spurs through what he calls “regularly scheduled programming.”
“I think Mitch has done – and the entire staff has done – a phenomenal job of continuing forward, continuing to execute on Pop’s vision for the team and how we want to play,” general manager Brian Wright said.
When veteran forward Harrison Barnes was traded to the Spurs from Sacramento in July, one of the perks was a chance to reunite with Popovich, his Team USA coach at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Six games into his San Antonio tenure, the 32-year-old Barnes found himself playing for a fill-in assistant coach not all that much older than he was.
“What has impressed me most with Mitch is his confidence,” Barnes said. “It’s a tough seat to fill for any period of time. He’s come in with the utmost confidence. The even-keel mentality he’s had, win or lose, has been the most impressive thing.”
The typically soft-spoken Johnson appears to be growing into his lungs, however.
Weary after a series of recent sluggish starts, Johnson was seen lacing into his team coming out of halftime of a 139-124 loss to Chicago last week. Later that night, Johnson picked up his first career technical foul arguing with officials.
One might say that is the day he officially became the Spurs’ acting head coach.
“The way he prepares the game, the way he talks to the team, he’s got it more and more figured out,” Wembanyama said. “He’s more adjusted in the way he talks to us in timeouts, the way he can influence us.”
‘The rest is history’
A little more than a month ago, fans in San Antonio would have had trouble picking Johnson out of a lineup.
Before Sunday’s home game against New Orleans, a gaggle of youngsters gathered near the tunnel leading to the Spurs’ locker room to greet players as they entered the court to warm up.
One of them recognized the face bounding toward them.
“It’s Mitch Johnson!” the kid exclaimed.
Two boys reached out their hands for high-fives. Johnson returned in kind.
The question of whether Johnson could get used to this remains a complicated one.
Yes, he has always dreamed of being an NBA head coach. Yes, he has enjoyed the challenge and the opportunity of pinch-hitting for Popovich.
Johnson would prefer to view his job now as merely keeping the seat warm until his boss, hopefully, returns.
“I’ve coached Summer League before, I’ve been behind the bench, I’ve been in the G League,” Johnson said. “All those things help the organization. This is just another opportunity in a different role to help the team win.”
There is no argument, however, that Johnson’s stint as the Spurs’ acting coach has supercharged his resume. The next time there is a head coaching opening in the NBA, his name is certain to come up.
“If it was there (in San Antonio) or somewhere else, he was going to become a head coach in the NBA,” Fields said. “He’s a stud.”
On that fateful day in 2012, as Murray awaited an uncertain future in a juvenile detention cell in Seattle, he had no way of knowing he was about to meet a would-be NBA coach.
He saw Johnson first as a lifeline, then as a mentor and eventually as a friend.
The two talk or text almost daily. When Murray’s Pelicans’ squad visited the Frost Bank Center this week, the pair exchanged a long hug after the final horn.
“I was in a tough place in my life around 15,” Murray said. “I was trying to change my life. Everything – from the knowledge, teaching discipline, right from wrong, building an AAU team for me – he was behind all that. I was in a tough time. He came, and the rest is history.”
New Orleans Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray looks to pass during an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in San Antonio. San Antonio won 121-116. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News