LOOK: The coaching tree from Naismith to Popovich

There's a direct line of descendance from the inventor of basketball to the Spurs coach. Pretty good lineage.

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This graphic via Reddit shows how to trace the professional lineage of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's coaching tree all the way back to the inventor of basketball, Dr. James Naismith. Click to enlarge.

A few amazing things about this: 

1. It shows you how direct the descendency is. Just five branches to Popovich. From Larry Brown to Dean Smith to Phog to Naismith and there you are. 

2. Kansas and North Carolina are all over this thing. Phog Allen, Dean Smith, Larry Brown, Popovich, George Karl, R.C. Buford, heavy with the big-time college folks on boar.d 

3. Mike Woodson and Mo Cheeks are on this thing! Right next to Popovich! 

4. The coaches under Popovich, even including the underrated Mike Brown, is a pretty good young core. The tree's in good hands, so to speak.