Gregg Popovich has long had a basketball crush on Harrison Barnes, who joined the San Antonio Spurs this summer
To hear Spurs coach Gregg Popovich tell the tale, it was a matter of love at first sight. Even before the Spurs engineered the trade that brought Harrison Barnes from Sacramento to San Antonio last July, Popovich had been guilty of coveting the Kings ’ forward. The infatuation began in 2019, when Barnes played for Popovich and Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in China . “That’s basically when I fell in love with him,” Popovich said.
With Spurs, Chris Paul can turn jeers to cheers Popovich says he has yet to iron out a starting five beyond Victor Wembanyama, but there is a good chance the 6-foot-8 Barnes will be in it. Barnes has played in and started all 82 games in each of the past two seasons, and has not come off the bench since 2015-16. Barnes’ reputation as a workhorse preceded him to San Antonio. “He is a winner who works hard,” Spurs guard Tre Jones said.
Victor Wembanyama's next step? Be as boring as Tim Duncan was. As one of the few players on the Spurs’ roster able to remember the ‘90s, Barnes doesn’t shy away from the idea of being a mentor. He also wants to make sure he is pulling his weight on the floor. Clearly, there is something left in Barnes' tank, as evidenced by the 39-point game he dumped on the Warriors last season. “I don’t think anybody on this team wants to hear a motivational speaker,” Barnes said.
Team USA NBA Gregg Popovich Demar Derozan Chris Paul All-Star Tre Jones Victor Wembanyama Tim Duncan Avery Johnson Larry O'brien Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Draymond Green Andre Iguodala Harrison Barnes Sacramento China Barnes Kings Alamo City Chicago Golden State Rio De Janeiro Los Angeles Frost Bank Center FIBA World Cup 2019 World Cup 2016 Olympics
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