U.S. men’s basketball coach Gregg Popovich signs autographs for fans Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, at the team hotel in Shanghai upon arrival for the World Cup. The team will play three first-round games starting Sunday. (AP Photo/Tim Reynolds)
U.S. men’s basketball coach Gregg Popovich signs autographs for fans Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, at the team hotel in Shanghai upon arrival for the World Cup. The team will play three first-round games starting
Photo: Tim Reynolds/AP
U.S. men’s basketball coach Gregg Popovich signs autographs for fans Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, at the team hotel in Shanghai upon arrival for the World Cup. The team will play three first-round games starting Sunday. (AP Photo/Tim Reynolds)
U.S. men’s basketball coach Gregg Popovich signs autographs for fans Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, at the team hotel in Shanghai upon arrival for the World Cup. The team will play three first-round games starting
Photo: Tim Reynolds/AP
In the Spurs’ Gregg Popovich’s first stint as the head coach for the U.S. men’s basketball team, he’s being treated as an “international icon” during the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.
Thirty-two national teams are gathering in different venues throughout China for the tournament that started Aug. 31 and ends Sept. 15. Photos shared on social media show the coach receiving a warm welcome, specifically in Shanghai.
One photo posted to the Spurs subReddit shows the coach posing with a crowd of fans decked out in Silver & Black gear. Some are hoisting Spurs merchandise and handmade signs proclaiming their love for the San Antonio team.
RELATED: Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan talks his relationship with Gregg ‘Don Corleone’ Popovich
An image posted by the NBA on ESPN Twitter account shows a fan in Shanghai holding a flag bearing Pop’s face and a translation that reads “POP YOU ARE THE MOST AMAZING.”
“Coach Pop: International icon,” the account tweeted.
The official Instagram for USA Basketball shared a video clip to the story feature of the app showing another group of very enthused fans posing for a photo with the coach.
Popovich’s team beat Japan 98-45 on Thursday. The U.S. team will move on to Shenzen, where they will play Greece on Sept. 7 in the second round.
Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @MaddySkye
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