Popovich was then asked if he was surprised James elected to go home after the Spurs annihilated the Miami Heat in The Finals, four games to one. Popovich used this time to annihilate the media, and it was good.
"No. I always thought you guys always had something to say," he responded. "If LeBron went right, you said he should have gone left. If he shot, he should have passed it. If he passed it, he should have shot it, and I always thought that was all baloney.
"He's a great player. He's not just athletic. He's incisive. He understands the game the way Magic [Johnson} did, the way Larry [Bird] did, the way Tim Duncan does. He knows a whole lot more of about what he's doing and what he has been doing than you all. He's a character guy, he's good people, and he's got a great heart."
"I'm just happy for him whether he went to Timbuktu, he should do what's best for him, his family," he said. "Everybody else can go swim in a lake. You all do what you want to do; LeBron should be able to do what he loves to do."
The Cavs will be tested this evening. So far, they're not living up to their billing on paper. The organization has stressed patience, and Popovich concurs.
"Whatever you think of the Cavs now, good, bad or in between, they're going to be a heck of a lot better come playoff time," said Popovich. "With coach [David Blatt], the players they have, the character of the players, management is going to do what they need to do, it's only going to get better. And I'm not just blowing smoke. That's a fact."