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.

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.