The Spurs are coached like no other team in the world

There's a saying that 'Basketball is Life', and there's no denying that basketball makes life much better when you're playing it, or even just watching it.  But Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs know that life is bigger than basketball, and he makes sure that the players take time to put things into perspective, as Ben Cohen writes in the Wall Street Journal.

Gregg Popovich on politics, race and why the Spurs think for themselves—about everything other than basketball. https://t.co/dMo2vlewam

— Ben Cohen (@bzcohen) October 6, 2016

Popovich explains why he spends time on current events instead of just concentrating on how to execute the pick and roll:

"It brings them together. There's a purpose to it—and it's fun for me."--Gregg Popovich

But it's more than just fun for the players, it helps them understand the world, which is important on a team that has always featured a number of international players.

"Whether you're a basketball player, a plumber, a doctor, a mailman or whatever you might be, why not try your best to live a more interesting life that includes other people, other cultures and different worlds?"

This is the sort of thing that keen observers of the sport already know about Coach Pop.

"What's most remarkable isn't that Popovich is one of the few people in sports to speak about such issues sensibly. It's that, at this point, it was almost expected of him."

Take the time to read the whole article, it's definitely worth your time.