Spurs’ Gregg Popovich Calls Texas Leaders ‘Cowards’ over Coronavirus Response

Gregg Popovich
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has harsh words for the top two elected state officials in Texas. The legendary NBA coach blasted both Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick for their handling of the coronavirus by saying, “they’re all cowards and they’re all afraid.”

Popovich made the remarks during a video interview with reporters.

“We have a lieutenant governor who decided he doesn’t want to listen to [Anthony] Fauci and those people any more,” Popovich explained. “That makes a lot of sense. How safe can that be? The messaging is ridiculous.”

The Spurs coach is referencing remarks Patrick made earlier this month when he said that he would continue to seek the opinions of doctors and scientists, just not Dr. Fauci.

“He has been wrong every time, on every issue,” Patrick said. “I don’t need his advice anymore. We’ll listen to a lot of science, we’ll listen to a lot of doctors, and Greg and myself and other state leaders will make the decision. No thank you, Dr. Fauci.”

Popovich painted Governor Abbott as being more concerned with doing what is best for President Trump.

“Politics show maybe he better do this because the virus has done that. But no overall policy, no principle,” Popovich said. “It’s all about politics. It’s all about what’s good for them. And ‘them’ means Trump. Because they’re all cowards and they’re all afraid.”

The NBA coach also accused Texas of “being all over the map” and said that no one really knows “what the hell’s going on.”

While Governor Abbott claims that Texas will not undergo another lockdown, such as the one recently implemented by California Governor Gavin Newson, the state is reeling from back-to-back days of breaking its record for new cases.

On Wednesday, Texas suffered 110 deaths and 10,791 new cases.

Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn

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