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Michael C. Wright
Multiple Authors
SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs began their Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina, but had to reroute to Atlanta due to an issue with the team’s charter plane.
but, by the end of the day, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had reached a significant milestone in his career. With his team’s 112-103 victory over the Orlando Magic, Johnson was appointed as the Western Conference All-Star head coach for the exhibition set to take place on February 15 in Inglewood, California.
“It would be an honor and a humbling experience to participate in All-Star Weekend alongside the league’s top players,” Johnson stated. “The league consistently excels at organizing a remarkable weekend, reflecting the hard work these players have put in.”
Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff will lead one of the three All-Star teams under the new “U.S. vs. the World” format, thanks to the Pistons holding the best record in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder is ineligible to coach this year’s All-Star Game, having done so last season.
With Daigneault ruled out, Johnson and the Nuggets’ David Adelman were in competition for the honor. The Spurs’ victory on Sunday brought their record to 33-16, securing the distinction for Johnson. Conversely, the Nuggets fell to the Thunder, leaving Denver with a record of 33-17.
The NBA has not yet disclosed how the coach for the third All-Star team will be chosen.
Johnson achieved this milestone after a long day that commenced at 6 a.m. ET in Charlotte, where the team found itself snowed in following a loss to the Hornets on Saturday. The Spurs intended to return home right after Saturday’s game, but an unfortunate 11 inches of snow at Charlotte Douglas International Airport resulted in over 1,000 flights getting canceled and the NBA postponing the Magic-Spurs game from 3 p.m. CT to 6 p.m.
Once the weather improved enough for takeoff, the pilot informed that the flight needed to divert to Atlanta due to a mechanical complication. because of this, the NBA delayed the tipoff by another two hours.
The Spurs finally arrived at San Antonio International Airport nearly four and a half hours prior to the game.
“It was a bit frightening,” forward Keldon Johnson remarked. “They announced we were losing cabin pressure, and we had to make an emergency landing. Our pilot managed the situation well. After that, the mood lightened up and reverted to joking around. It was indeed scary.”
Mitch Johnson, in his inaugural full season as the Spurs’ coach, becomes the second All-Star Game head coach in the franchise’s history, following Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich, who last held the position in 2016.
San Antonio’s 33-16 record marks its best performance through 49 games since the 2016-17 season.
Johnson has guided the Spurs to claim the third-most clutch wins in the league (17), with an offensive rating of 124.8 in critical moments.
“I’m incredibly pleased for him,” said Spurs center and All-Star starter Victor Wembanyama, who posted 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 4 steals on Sunday. “I can’t recall how many coaches have achieved this in their first or first-and-a-half seasons.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
