Popovich's Spurs swept James' Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007 during the fourth season of the King's career. However, James earned some revenge in 2013 when he helped lead the Miami Heat to a dramatic victory over the Spurs in a full seven-game series.

LeBron James gave plenty of praise to Gregg Popovich, who just retired after 29 outstanding seasons as the Spurs' head coach.

Popovich, 76, stepped down from his post as coach on May 2, when he announced he'd be transitioning to the role of Spurs president of basketball operations. The three-time NBA Coach of the Year ends his career as the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,422 regular-season wins, plus five NBA titles.