Gregg Popovich suffered a “serious health issue” and needed medical attention before the Spurs’ Saturday night game against the Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Charania added that “there is a great level of concern around the situation” from those surrounding Popovich and the Spurs.
Popovich, 75, has missed the Spurs’ last two games and is expected to be out indefinitely.
“It is still uncertain when he will make it back on the floor, on the sideline, for the team,” Charania said during an appearance on “NBA Today.”
He is at home and resting, per ESPN.
Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson is filling in as San Antonio’s interim head coach in Popvich’s absence.
The team is off to a 3-4 start.
“He’s not feeling well,” Johnson said after Saturday’s game. “This has happened before. I think everybody’s just always got to be ready for the next man up. We’ve had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don’t feel well or things come up in life. He’s just not feeling well.”
On Monday, Johnson said Popovich told him on Sunday that “he’s in good spirits.”
“Obviously, the circumstances are unique,” Johnson said. “But as much continuity and familiarity we can have I think is what we’re looking for. That’s what we know Pop would want. He said he wants us to do it. We have talked and nothing changes.”
Popovich has won five NBA titles with San Antonio and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2003, 2012 and 2014.
He is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach with 1,390 regular season victories and 170 postseason wins.
In his 29th season as head coach of the Spurs, Popovich is the longest-tenured head coach in American professional sports.
