Gregg Popovich used Drake to motivate Draymond Green at the All-Star Game
One of the biggest revelations from the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend: San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is apparently a huge Drake fan.
After saying he was "tight" with the Canadian rapper and Toronto Raptors global ambassador earlier in the weekend, Popovich name-dropped him to Golden State Warriors Draymond Green to drive home a point.
Popovich told Green to embrace the moment, relating the two men's unlikely journeys to one of the NBA's highest stages, according to Mlive:
"I was the first one (from the West) announced," Green said, "and I was standing next to him (Popovich), and coach said, 'Man, did you hear what Drake just said? He said this is the game with the 24 best players in the world. You're one of those guys. Embrace it all, because you never would have thought that when you were at Michigan State, and I never would have thought that when I was coaching Division II, but we're here.'"
That interaction, of course, is one of the million reasons why Pop is arguably the best coach in professional sports history. He's an Xs and Os savant, and he's brilliant at pushing buttons with certain lineups and players. But, at his core, he loves to keep things simple, and that can do wonders for players.
There was no need for Green to fret, and who knows if he even was. But Pop is right. Green is already a great player who's established himself in the NBA in a short period of time. He's already won a championship. He's now been an All-Star. He just has to relax and enjoy himself, which Green seems more than capable of doing.
Green finished with four points, five rebounds and two steals in 12 minutes, but it didn't matter. He understood what Popovich meant, and that was a greater lesson than playing well in his first All-Star appearance. If he listens to and applies Pop's advice, he'll have a handful or so more All-Star Games to play better in.
Which isn't to say he didn't make any crucial contributions, because he did. Green actually saved the day.
The West crushed the East, 196-173, but they almost gave up an All-Star Game record point total to Paul George, who finished with 41 points, one shy of Wilt Chamberlain's record in 1962. Green closed out on George with just under a minute left, forcing him to miss a 3-pointer and not set the record.
In Pop's defense, he had no choice but to reference Drake -- who was everywhere all weekend -- in both cases.
First, he was asked about being outcoached by Drake, who coached Team Canada in the All-Star Celebrity Game, and simply responded to the question. Then, Drake helped introduce the All-Stars rosters, so Pop used him as the messenger for his point, but it could've been anyone else and it wouldn't have made a difference.
Or who knows, maybe Pop is a secret Drizzy fan and hopes to pop champagne with him in San Antonio in June while blaring his latest single, "Summer Sixteen." There's no ceiling for everyone's new favorite odd couple.
Jovan Buha covers the NBA for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @jovanbuha.
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