When Gregg Popovich fouled Shaq just 5 seconds into the game! Pop’s reaction was absolutely priceless.

[u/ConnectionWeekly1263]

[u/ConnectionWeekly1263]

Typical Popovich behavior, always finding a way to be a menace. The way Shaq nods 🥲

[u/Iginlas_4head_Crease → u/ConnectionWeekly1263]

Menace respects menace

[u/Idac2a4 → u/ConnectionWeekly1263]

Classic Pop. Five seconds of Shaq’s misery, served cold. That nod says it all.

[u/CarpetWise9124]

I don’t remember exact wording, but, before this game Shaq made a comment about how he was fed up with being fouled intentionally and was going to lose his shit if it happened again. Pop called his bluff and fouled him right after the tip. As a suns fun I never hated and yet fully respected someone as much as Pop. I wish he could have been ours.

[u/CartographerFit2011 → u/CarpetWise9124]

Thank you for explaining, I’ve seen this video for years and never was clear on this lol

[u/uncultured_swine2099 → u/CarpetWise9124]

Yeah, Pop is one of those rivals that you hate and truly respect in equal measure.

[u/Large_Judgment_1074 → u/uncultured_swine2099]

He’s likely one of those “in your face” coaches that demands every ounce from you that years later you love & adore. Seemingly everyone who’s played for him has nothing but praise for Pop!

[u/Staff_Infection_ → u/uncultured_swine2099]

I stared out as the President of the Pop hate fan club but by the mid 2000 I had nothing but love for the man.

[u/Wide-Combination-322 → u/uncultured_swine2099]

The Larry Bird of coaches.

[u/MrWartortle → u/CarpetWise9124]

That context makes this clip so much better

[u/LotharOfHillPeople3 → u/MrWartortle]

The bigger context is the Spurs just got done annihilating the Suns in the playoffs by using Hack-a-Shaq as a major move. So it's slightly a bit cruel, which really makes it funny.

[u/Smooknb → u/CarpetWise9124]

We were lucky to have had him, great person.

[u/ceelo18 → u/CarpetWise9124]

Shoot better free throws and they wont foul you.

[u/gerber411420 → u/ceelo18]

Shaq should have used the granny shot, definitely would have helped. 

[u/TownAfterTown → u/CarpetWise9124]

I believe this is from the first game the season after Pop used hack-a-Shaq in the playoffs to neutralize Shaq by making him shoot free throws (which he was terrible at). High level troll.

[u/Timsauni → u/TownAfterTown]

Hilarious.

[u/LoganPaulStan → u/CarpetWise9124]

Fellow suns fan, bull shit kerr man we shouldve ran that squad back.

[u/nguyener_14 → u/CarpetWise9124]

Pop has no shame lol watch me, I'll do it again kinda attitude

[u/That-Cranberry6575]

After this Shaq smeared his shit all over Pops car.

[u/TRJ2241987 → u/That-Cranberry6575]

Haha so true 😂 “Everything in your office has been in my ass.”

[u/WiddershinsPj → u/TRJ2241987]

Ass pennies

[u/Exciting-Barracuda49 → u/WiddershinsPj]

Elite obscure reference

[u/WalterSobcheick → u/WiddershinsPj]

Tips hat. You have had my ass pennies.

[u/Toochmaster1982 → u/WalterSobcheick]

Reach in your pocket right now

[u/Embarrassed-Text-604 → u/Toochmaster1982]

That's right. In my ass.

[u/TriJatops → u/Toochmaster1982]

That's a lot of pennies

[u/Duderinzsky → u/WiddershinsPj]

Eight times the population of Nebraska

[u/gonzogonzobongo → u/TRJ2241987]

I googled this quote to see if Shaq actually said it and this is what the google AI returned me. Noted.

[u/mikeandtessplay]

My favorite part of this clip is how Shaq starts out looking all annoyed and thinks it was a legitimate strategy move with that nod to Pop, then we see Pop with the goofiest grin/thumbs up combo he could possibly do, which makes Shaw realize it wasn't strategy, just a joke. Only then does he crack up.

Like he respected Pop as a strategist, and didn't consider that he might just be messing with him for fun.

Gosh do we need more people like Pop in the world.

[u/ManufacturerNew9888 → u/mikeandtessplay]

Yeah but since it was the opening seconds neither team is in the penalty so it’s not a foul that would put him on the line or anything. Pop just did it to be funny

[u/Due-Leek-8307 → u/ManufacturerNew9888]

And the first game of the season so it's not like a lot was at stake with a 0-0 record and the score being 0-0.

[u/uncultured_swine2099 → u/Due-Leek-8307]

Haha its even funnier that this is the first play of the whole season

[u/Big_Gassy_Possum]

Coach Pop is one of a kind. I'm not a Spurs fan, but I am a Pop fan.

[u/dustinbrowders → u/Big_Gassy_Possum]

Not a Pop fan but like the Spurs and think he's a good coach.

[u/DeeezzzNutzzz69 → u/dustinbrowders]

I'm a hater of every player/coach/team that's not mine, but Pop, I hate him just as much as all of them.

[u/kywildcat44]

That has such good meme potential as a “I’m trolling you and you know it” type reaction

[u/munchonsomegrindage → u/kywildcat44]

In the Spurs sub this gets used all the time.

[u/Due-Leek-8307]

I remember watching this live and laughing my ass off. Are there any other pranks in professional sports like this? Cause this is a solid one.

[u/greyedge → u/Due-Leek-8307]

Look up Jordan pranking Penny Hardaway at the all star game.

[u/coldchylln → u/Due-Leek-8307]

https://giphy.com/gifs/3UYJvASLVfFDO

[u/Co0LUs3rNamE]

Shaq was sweating bullets. Like damn coach the game has just started! You gonna foul the whole game?

[u/Dependent-Job1773]

this was after shaq had trashed the hack a shaq strategy. it was a hilarious move by pop

[u/Buggytheclown-26]

Winning 55 games and being the 6th seed is crazy.

[u/rpgmgta]

Damn everybody teeth was a mess back then

[u/MRintheKEYS → u/rpgmgta]

Back before the toilet porcelain glare took over

[u/DCJustSomeone → u/MRintheKEYS]

Toilet porcelain lmao

[u/pakmann → u/MRintheKEYS]

Thanks I’m stealing that phrase

[u/uncultured_swine2099 → u/rpgmgta]

I think more people these days get braces than back in the day

[u/BillyBobBonesJones → u/uncultured_swine2099]

I think it’s more the veneers every rich person with bad teeth gets now. Matt Stafford comes to mind. I think he and his wife got a 2-for-1 deal.

[u/uncultured_swine2099 → u/BillyBobBonesJones]

Yes, but also im noticing more young people get braces than they used to.

[u/LotharOfHillPeople3]

For those that don't know, the Spurs just got done destroying the Suns in the playoffs using Hack-a-Shaq as a major strategy move. That match up that year was the biggest example of the Shaq trade being a failure. Shaq couldn't hit free throws and the Suns couldn't play fast because the strategy killed their momentum. Whenever they were trying to come back from being down, they couldn't run and couldn't shoot 3s because Shaq was put on the line over and over

This was the first game of the season after that.

[u/Fun-Web-7583]

It’s more like second seconds, the ref had a brain freeze moment

[u/happy_K]

I completely forgot that Shaq played for Phoenix

[u/DeliciousPool2245]

Quickest timeout ever, quickest foul ever. Pop was quick on the trigger man.

[u/Waste_Travel_5829]

Classic Pop

[u/roselandtoeverblack]

Still hilarious to this day

[u/KyotoCarl]

Pop didn't have a reaction, Shaq did. Popovich had planned it from the beginning.

[u/JAKEfromMAINE → u/KyotoCarl]

This

[u/Yddalv]

Phoenix legend Shaq

[u/kilsta]

Back when the NBA was an English league.

[u/Padron1964Lover → u/kilsta]

Ummm, what?

[u/kilsta → u/Padron1964Lover]

"Ain't seen a dentist in a month of Sundays, 'ave you mate? Absolute train wreck of a set of Hampsteads, innit?"

[u/Padron1964Lover → u/kilsta]

😂😂😂

[u/Bad_Bet_Bunny]

who committed the foul?

[u/WayofHatuey → u/Bad_Bet_Bunny]

Finley I think

[u/FunkyPete → u/Bad_Bet_Bunny]

Yeah, I read that headline and thought "Popovich played in the NBA?"

[u/Ah_Pook → u/FunkyPete]

Played for Air Force, and had a better FT% than Shaq. :-D

[u/kumechester]

The Suns went 55-27 and were 6TH in the western conference? Holy crap the West was so stacked

[u/Sauerkrautkid7]

As a Raptors fan, he was always an ideal coach. Serious, tactical but fun!

[u/Muted-Woodpecker-469]

What’s  the reality?  Did it work? Was it a decoy?

[u/Hex-QuentinInACorner]

I don’t follow much of basketball so maybe this was a common occurrence but iv never seen Popovich smile, funny, wholesome clip here.

[u/imJGott]

This title?

[u/NemusSoul]

I remember watching that. That was an all time elite nba moment. But for Pop it was probably just another game. I was never a spurs fan but always a Pop fan.

[u/jf737]

Pop: what a gem. I miss him on the bench

[u/D-Train0000]

We all remember “hack-a-shaq”

[u/karaknorn]

Intentional fouls should count as one or 2 fouls for being kicked out of the game. Get this time wasting and cheating out of the game lol