Popovich won those five championships spread out over 15 years by helping create one of the most remarkable, if quiet, cultures of excellence in sports. If Pat Riley had the Heat Way (flashy, talked about, and well-celebrated) in Miami, the Pop Way was the opposite in San Antonio.

For the first time in 30 years, the legendary coach has been on a different sideline, battling to return to what he once was. This is the story of his season -- and what might come next for the proud franchise he leads.

If you decided that Gregg Popovich was a world-class ass because he dressed down sideline reporters who had the unfortunate task of doing in-game interviews with him during his Hall of Fame coaching career with the Spurs,