Gregg Popovich has stepped down from his role as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs after 29 years, but his fingerprints are still all over the NBA. A whole lot of coaches who have worked alongside Popovich have gone on to carve their own path, and his coaching tree is incredible.

As Gregg Popovich stepped down from his post as San Antonio Spurs coach and transitioned to a front office role as the team's president this week, endless tributes for the winningest coach in NBA history followed.

Gregg Popovich understood the world. That goes back long before the basketball world knew who he was. It probably can be traced to at least Popovich’s time at the U.S.