SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich offered a simple reason Tuesday before the team's 109-97 win over the Brooklyn Nets when asked why charitable endeavors are important to him.
"Because we're rich as hell, and we don't need it all, and other people need it," Popovich said. "Then, you're an ass if you don't give it. Pretty simple."
Having spent considerable time and money working with several charities and nonprofits such as the San Antonio Food Bank and Shoes That Fit, with which he partnered in October to deliver shoes to more than 200 students at Gates Elementary, as well as the Innocence Project, Popovich has been vocal about serving the community.
In fact, several of Popovich's charitable efforts go unpublicized, such as the donation (which sources called "substantial") that he made to relief in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which ravaged the home of U.S. Virgin Islands native Tim Duncan, a former Spur and future Hall of Famer.
Popovich is currently in the process of trying to help raise proceeds to benefit J/P HRO, which runs relief programs in Haiti, and a coalition of disaster relief organizations in the U.S. and Caribbean with a focus on Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, Haiti and Antigua/Barbuda through an auction in which the winning bidder and a guest can watch the Spurs face the Lakers on Jan. 11 at the Staples Center.
After the game, the winning bidder and a guest will fly back to San Antonio with the team. They'll spend three nights in San Antonio (Jan. 11-13) and be guests at the team's Jan. 13 morning shootaround before finishing the night watching the Spurs host the Denver Nuggets from VIP seats. In addition to meeting Popovich, winners of the auction will receive the home game ball autographed by Popovich or a Spur of their choice.