Were you all at all fretting about the pressures that were building on him?I wasn’t worried about him because he can handle all this stuff. He’s a grown man. I just wanted to win so badly for him and for (retiring USA Basketball managing director) Jerry Colangelo, given that for both of them, it’s a swan song from Team USA. And for Jerry to go out undefeated in the Olympics, took over the program in ’04 and won four Olympic golds, what an accomplishment for him.
And for Pop, this is, in many ways, the cherry on the top of the sundae for his coaching career. He’s obviously still going, but the Spurs, they’re not going to win a championship. Pop will be the first to tell you that. In many ways, this is sort of a fitting topping to his incredible career. To add a gold medal, just an amazing accomplishment.