Erin Popovich, the wife of Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich, died…

The NBA world was stunned Wednesday by the news that Erin Popovich, the wife of Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich, died after a long battle with what was reported to be a respiratory illness.

Erin Popovich, 67, had been ill since the 1990s, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The Popoviches had been married for four decades and had two children and two grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced, and the team asked that the media “respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

Popovich was not far from anybody’s mind.
„You try to support and try to be there,“ Ginobili said. „As a team, you show your support by trying to go out there and compete even harder than we ever did. It’s what we can do.“

„There is definitely kind of a subdued feeling, and it’s permeated our entire locker room,“ said Kerr, who played four seasons under Popovich. „There is just a different feeling, one of perspective and sadness.“