Spurs star De'Aaron Fox shares his first impression of meeting ailing Spurs HC Gregg Popovich

San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox was traded to the team by the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 2. The Spurs have Gregg Popovich’s team since 1996 as he has been the head coach for almost three decades now.

Unfortunately, Fox came into a team that was functioning without Popovich since was on the sidelines after suffering a mild stroke on Nov. 2.

Fox had only spoken to Popovich on the phone since his arrival in Texas. He finally met him on Feb. 27 when the Spurs arranged for Gregg Popovich to address the team. De'Aaron Fox recollected his first impression of the coach during a conversation with ESPN:

“It would go from serious to laughing back to serious and laughing. But he knows how to keep people engaged, and I think that's why he's been able to do what he does for so long. Obviously, we want him to be as healthy as possible. But I would love to be coached by Pop, for sure."

Fox was also inspired by Popovich’s determination to return.

“It's an inspiration," Fox said. "Going through the things that he's going through, and him trying to fight back just to be out there. It is a testament to who he is as a person and you can tell that he really wants to be back out there.”

De'Aaron Fox will be out for the rest of the season as he is set to undergo a season-ending surgery. Since his arrival, Fox made 17 appearances for the Spurs, recording 19.7 points, 6.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Spurs headed for bottom three finish despite trading for De'Aaron Fox

The San Antonio Spurs hold the 13th seed (28-39) in the Western Conference and are four games behind the Dallas Mavericks at 10th. They're 4-6 over their last 10 games and have lost both Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox to season-ending injuries.

From the looks of it, the Spurs' season is heading to a bitter ending despite making a blockbuster trade for Fox in February. The team can find solace in the fact that they've already improved over last season's performance when they finished 14th (22-60).

At this rate, the team is likely headed for a bottom-three finish and could hit it big in the draft Lottery. It'll be interesting to see what the Spurs achieve next season when Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox are healthy. It is yet to be seen whether Gregg Popovich will return.