During his time in the NBA spotlight, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich developed a specific reputation. Not only is he a talented bench boss—his five championship rings largely speak for themselves—but he's also quite the oenologist. Over the years, we've heard about his wine tastes; they've almost become the stuff of sports legend, with ESPN running multiple stories about the topic over the years.
"What's my legacy?" Pop once quipped. "Food and wine. This is just a job."
The same Baxter Holmes write-up that included that quote also featured a murderer's row of endorsements. Wolfgang Puck, for example, explained that the coach simply "knows wine" (Emphasis ESPN's).
And with a world-class Frenchman on the Spurs (Victor Wembanyama), there's a natural opportunity for wine to enter the frame. France, after all, produces some excellent libations.
After a recent Spurs game, the connection became even more apparent during Popovich's press conference.
"I only get excited when I have an older French Bordeaux that I was worried that it might be over the hill and I find out it was really perfect. Then I get excited," the bench boss explained when asked if a young talent like Wemby had him energized to coach another 10 or 20 years. "All of my best wines are older than Victor. That's a true statement."
It goes without saying that the quote grabbed plenty of headlines. Not only was it a candid comment, which we don't always get in press conferences, but it had an element of tabloid-esque shock value. Depending on your perspective, it probably sounded like a blend of incredibly impressive and incredibly unobtainable. How good must Pop's collection be for him to primarily drink bottles of Bordeaux from at least 20 years ago?
Wine, at the best of times, can be a bit obtuse; when you start bringing in specific vintages and in-depth collections, things feel even murkier.
Well, with that in mind, Newsweek reached out for a bit of perspective. Does sticking to Bordeaux older than Wembanyama make sense? Or is Pop overlooking some sleeper hits?
"I would say in general yes, for most top Bordeaux, they don't really open up and get ready to drink until they are 10 years old at least, so it sounds like he has a collection full of mature Bordeaux wines," Jane Anson, author of multiple books including Inside Bordeaux, and accredited wine teacher at the Bordeaux Ecole du Vin, told Newsweek via email. "He might be missing out on some great more recent years like 2009 or 2010, but I like the sound of his cellar!"
Brian Freedman, who has written about Bordeaux for Food & Wine, conducts wine cellar assessments and penned the book, Crushed: How a Changing Climate Is Altering the Way We Drink," also weighed in and provided some perspective on the philosophy behind the bottles.
"Building a wine collection is a deeply personal undertaking, and the bottles that you fill it with are generally reflective of your own personal preferences. Without knowing him, Coach Popovich's comment seems to imply that he prefers drinking mature Bordeaux to younger bottles from the region," Freedman told Newsweek via email.
"It's also important to note that, at some point in most wine collectors' lives, the focus tends to shift from buying current vintages with the intention of aging them for years or decades, to enjoying the precious wines you've been patiently cellaring. My own father, who is also a passionate collector, made that switch several years ago. That doesn't mean that he—or, for all I know, Coach Popovich—no longer buys new-release wine. It just means that, when it comes to the places whose wines he prefers with some age on them, he perhaps no longer buys new-release bottles as he once did from there."
And some of the head coach's comments about the excitement of learning that a wine has perfectly matured also make sense.
"It's a smart strategy—after all, one of the hardest aspects of being a serious wine collector is staring at bottles that you can't wait to taste, but knowing that they won't be at the point where they'll provide maximum pleasure for years to come," Freedman added. "I just hope Coach Popovich is sharing them with his friends, family, and loved ones, because great mature Bordeaux is one of the most profound pleasures imaginable. Then again, the people I know who have great collections of lovingly aged wines tend to be some of the most generous and apt to share."
Based on previous reporting, it's safe to assume that the NBA legend is sharing the wealth. In a 2019 ESPN story, for example, Holmes recounted Popovich, when faced with a wine list that especially suited his tastes, "transforms into a happy sommelier, bounding about the room, pouring for everyone. 'You've got to try this!' At the end of the night, he buys another 10 bottles—to go."
Newsweek also reached out to the Spurs via email, seeking wine-related comment from Popovich.
The same story also details how the coach's legendary team dinners, which highlight his taste in wine, are a key part of success. Whether it's team-building or laying some long-term groundwork—he apparently wined and dined Argentine basketball officials and then, years later, had the knowledge to draft Manu Ginobili—food and wine are a part of Popovich's portfolio.
In terms of basketball, the head coach has proven his chops time and time again. That wisdom, unsurprisingly, extends into the world of wine.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Joe Kozlowski is a native New Yorker who joined Newsweek in 2023 as the Sports Team Lead.
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