Gregg Popovich Doesn’t Get The Warriors Hate Because He Thinks ‘They’re Beautiful’

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Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is on record as being against watching film of other teams, but that doesn’t mean he won’t watch a basketball game for the fun of it.

While you won’t find Pop in the film room grinding over what to do against the Warriors in their next meeting, you might catch him with a glass of wine watching Golden State on a Spurs off night. Popovich told reporters in Toronto on Tuesday that he loves to watch the Warriors because they’re simply “really fun to watch.”

“I don’t watch Golden State’s film,” Popovich said, per CBS Sports’ James Herbert. “I watch a game once in a while because Golden State’s really fun to watch. You’ve got to admit that, they’re in a different league than the rest of us.”

Pop also would like people to stop complaining about the Warriors adding Kevin Durant this summer and putting together another super team, because, as he points out, it’s hypocritical for other teams to complain because it’s what everyone would want to do.

“What team wouldn’t try to put together as good a group as they can?,” Popovich asked. “They did a good job, they figured it out, they get credit for it. It’s got nothing to do with ‘oh, that’s unfair.’ Life’s unfair. Get over it. Go play ’em. If you want to beat ’em, do your best to beat ’em. You do or you don’t. No reason to denigrate them in any way, shape or form. They’re beautiful.”

Few coaches in the league are as candid as Popovich (it’s a luxury that can be afforded to a legend who’s stayed in the same place for 21 years), and it’s honestly refreshing to hear someone in the league outside of Oakland say this.

Yes, the Warriors are a ridiculously good team. Yes, it seems like they’re destined to roll to a third straight Finals. They are the best collection of talent in the NBA and once you accept that is the way it is you get to just enjoy the ridiculous level of basketball we get to see on a nightly basis from the Warriors.

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