"It was an easy decision and felt super confident in the human being that he is," says Spurs GM Brian Wright of taking interim tag off.

While no one expected Popovich to announce his retirement plans early and accept a year-long retirement tour, his departure from the sidelines was far more abrupt than he or anyone would've intended.

Johnson joined the Spurs’ staff in the summer of 2016 as a G League assistant before transitioning to the NBA club in 2019. By stepping up to help the Spurs navigate one of the more trying seasons in team history, Johnson earned the shot on a permanent basis, general manager Brian Wright said.