Popovich blasts Trump's 'cowardly' approach to dealing with authoritarian figures

SAN ANTONIO - In offering a defense of NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s handling of the controversy with China, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on Sunday accused President Donald Trump of kowtowing to authoritarian figures in a “feckless, impotent and cowardly” manner.

Trump last week criticized Popovich and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr for how they responded to questions about the controversy.

“All I did was make a comparison between Adam Silver’s show of principle and courage in a tough situation as opposed to how our president reacts in the company of authoritarian figures, whether it’s Saudi Arabia or North Korea or Russia or Turkey, whatever it is,” Popovich said. " (Trump’s approach) comes off as pretty feckless, impotent and cowardly by comparison.”

Speaking to reporters before a preseason game with New Orleans at the AT&T Center, Popovich went on to praise Silver for the way he handled the fallout from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's tweet last week that supported pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

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