Dirk is nearly "perfect"

One of Gregg Popovich’s most endearing qualities off the court is his candor. Though the Spurs coach may seem gruff to some, he’s honest, direct and avoids the pat answer.

He was asked before the game whether Dirk Nowitzki was capable of leading Dallas to a title. He laughed incredulously before answering.

“The only reason any media brings that up is because they haven’t won a championship,” he said. “You have to blame somebody, so it gets put on Dirk and it’s baloney. He’s one of the most competitive guys in the league. He does a hellava job. Teams win championships, not individuals.”Popovich was then asked if the reigning MVP had any holes in his game.

“If you want to look for holes in a game, Dirk is not the guy to look to,” Popovich said, who added that Nowitzki is "about as perfect as you can get."

Popovich finally added: “Why you would even bring Dirk up is beyond me.”