During media day last week, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich went away from his usual solemn demeanor and took a more light-hearted approach to answering questions by poking fun at his players.
He joked about retaining most of last year's NBA championship roster:
Gregg Popovich on most of last year's team coming back: "Well, we had a pretty good year. Didn't see any reason to kick them out of town."
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) September 26, 2014
Then he set his sights on Boris Diaw, insinuating that he's been gaining weight during the offseason:
Pop on Boris Diaw: "Boris is having pina coladas. We have a pool where you guess his weight. You have to start at 275." — Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) September 26, 2014
While it's likely that Popovich was just joking, it's also possible that he is truly concerned with Diaw's current physique as there is usually a method behind the madness of the future Hall-of-Fame coach. But Diaw doesn't seem too phased by the comments, jokingly responding to Popovich on his Instagram:
As SBNation reported, the caption reads, "No worries pop only one glass of wine and daily workouts!" It's a great comeback by the French big man, who was instrumental in San Antonio's championship run.
Diaw averaged 35 minutes a game in the Finals after averaging a little over 10 mpg during the regular season. He led all players in the series in total assists (29) and was second in rebounds (43) behind teammate Tim Duncan (50). He re-signed with the Spurs over the summer to a three-year $22 million contract.
In the FIBA World Cup, Diaw helped lead France to a bronze medal by leading the team in assists and ranking third in scoring. He had 15 points and four assists in France's 95-93 win over Lithuania in the third-place game.
Diaw, a power forward, was listed at 250 pounds last year. He doesn't really rely on his athleticism to be efficient, so a few extra pounds might not affect his play.
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