Danny Green compares Gregg Popovich to ... Michael Jordan

Danny Green always seems to find the time enjoyable interviews (granted, not too difficult at the moment), and recently he sat down with ESPN’s Ros Gold-Onwude to cover a variety of topics, including how Tim Duncan and LeBron James compare as his favorite teammates, the idea of finishing the 2019-20 season at a neutral site, and perhaps most interestingly, comparing Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich to . . . Michael Jordan?

It might seem like an odd comparison considering Pop never played professional basketball, but once he explains it actually make sense (and it’s not just a case of GOAT player vs. GOAT coach). When asked who reminds him most of MJ, this was his answer:

“For sure Pop. It has to be. ‘Cause he doesn’t care about your feelings. To be a Michael Jordan you had to be mean. Not many guys have that. Kobe had it… Rondo, he’s one of those guys, he doesn’t care,”

Obviously not mean in the cruel sense, more like similar to MJ, Pop is notoriously hard to please and can be hard on his players if that’s what it takes to get the best out of them. But perhaps something that makes Pop better than Jordan is he has always been able to balance that tough side with a fatherly kindness, developing relationships from his stars all the way down to third-stringers that few coaches ever do.

As is the case with any Danny interview, the entire thing is enjoyable, so be sure to check it out.