Gregg Popovich's decision to permanently step away from being a head coach stunned the NBA world. It also garnered him recognition from current and former San Antonio Spurs players. Case in point: Kawhi Leonard.

Starting his NBA career in 2011, Leonard first played for Popovich. Leonard developed into a star for the Spurs, winning NBA Finals MVP in 2014. He represented San Antonio for seven seasons until the team traded him to the Toronto Raptors in 2018, where he went on to win another title in 2019.

Now with the Los Angeles Clippers, Leonard reacted to Popovich's retirement from coaching after his team's loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 7. What he said about the Spurs legend shows the honor and respect he has for him.

“He had a phenomenal career. He coached until pretty much he couldn't in a sense. It shows how much dedication he had to the game, how much he loved the game, and how much he gave to the game. I appreciate everything he's done for me,” Leonard said.

What's next for Gregg Popovich, Spurs

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Gregg Popovich will now transition to the Spurs' front office with his head coaching career officially over.

As a result, Popovich will take over the role of team president. This means he will continue to take part in big decisions regarding the Spurs' roster construction.

This would be positive news for the San Antonio fanbase, knowing how invaluable Popovich's ability to land talented prospects to the franchise. He showed that with his ability to develop Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Leonard from the beginning.

The Spurs will remain in good hands as Mitch Johnson becomes their next head coach. With Popovich now handling the internal decisions, the franchise will look forward to returning to title contention with Victor Wembanyama as their cornerstone.