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San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich defended LA Lakers superstar LeBron James on Monday in a pregame news conference.
James missed the Lakers' game on Monday night against the Spurs. However, that did not stop Popovich from praising the Lakers superstar. He gushed about James' basketball IQ, commending the improvement in his jump shot over the years.
The longtime Spurs coach has seen James play since his rookie year in 2003 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Popovich noted how "The King" added the jump shot to his arsenal to take his game to another level.
"He wasn't as confident in his jump shot in previous years, but because he's so intelligent, he understood that his game has to be expanded and he did it. That's what makes him so special. He understands the game so well," Popovich said.
Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest head coaches in NBA history, also defended James from his haters and critics. He added that James' mental toughness separates him from everybody else. He knows that the 37-year-old has had to endure criticism on a daily basis despite his dazzling exploits this season.
"I appreciate LeBron from Day One, and I think what first hit me was how he was able to limit the noise that he allowed into his head, when many in your profession (media) would criticize him every single night," Popovich said.
The Spurs coach continued:
"If he took the shot, he should have passed it. If he passed it, he should have taken the shot, you know? Those sort of things. And most people who criticized him didn't have a clue or never played or whatever in that kind of situation and he never let it get to him. That's mental toughness."
The admiration between James and Popovich is mutual, with the Lakers star a huge fan of the Spurs coach. The two formed a bond in 2004, when a young James played with Team USA, with coach Popovich as an assistant. They also faced each other in three NBA Finals (2007, 2013 and 2014).
LeBron James went 1-2 against Popovich and the Spurs in NBA Finals, winning in 2013. It would be interesting to see if James has another Finals showdown with Popovich before one of them retires.
LA Lakers without LeBron James lose to San Antonio Spurs
LeBron James was ruled out of the LA Lakers' 117-110 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night at the AT&T Center. James was rested due to discomfort in his left knee. The same knee had kept him out for five games between late January and early February.
Talen Horton-Tucker led the Lakers with 18 points, while Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk scored 17 points apiece. However, that wasn't enough to beat the Spurs. Dejounte Murray was huge for San Antonio, scoring 26 points with 10 boards and eight assists.
The win tied Gregg Popovich with Don Nelson (1335) for the most victories in NBA history.
The ninth-place Lakers (28-36) are now eight games below .500 and just a game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans (27-37) in the Western Conference standings. The Portland Trail Blazers (25-39) and San Antonio Spurs (25-40) are also not far behind in the final spot to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Guess the Lakers players!
