Spurs manager Gregg Popovich, Nov. 4
Statement from Spurs CEO RC Buford on Thursday.
These two quotes aren’t necessarily contradictory, but they tell a story. Now that former Spurs therapist Hilary Corten has settled a lawsuit against the organization, the story may be the closest public explanation of Josh Primo’s situation the Spurs have provided to date.
We may never know if they took Cosen’s allegations against Primo “very seriously” from the start, as Popovich suggested.
But I know the Spurs want to do better.
And hopefully they will always be.
It should be noted that the Spurs’ settlement with Cozen (confirmed to Express News by her attorney Tony Busby on Thursday) does not mean the teams agree to her version of the event. It is important.
In a psychologist lawsuit filed on Nov. 3, she alleges Primo exposed his genitals to her nine times starting in December 2021, and in January accused executives, including general manager Brian Wright, of He reported the incident, but was eventually forced out of his job. Primo remained on the team.
Just 16 months after the team selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and just two weeks after exercising an option on his contract that guaranteed a minimum of three years, Primo announced on Oct. waived by the Spurs. Over $4 million.
On the day Cosen held a press conference announcing her lawsuit, Buford released a statement that the Spurs disagreed with the “accuracy of facts, details and timelines” presented by psychologists and Busby.
The following night, Popovich offered a spirited defense of the Spurs, stating that “the men and women of the administrative staff dealing with and dealing with this were deliberately, efficiently, swiftly and meticulously I have absolute confidence in doing it.” Make everyone feel comfortable and safe for everyone involved, whistleblowers, suspects, and people in your organization. “
Again, what happened Thursday does not prove Popovich wrong about it. We have decided to work with Dr. Cosen and other experts to review and improve our
Was this cooperation mandated by the settlement? Did Cozen receive financial compensation from the Spurs? Neither side has commented on these details. Busby did not immediately answer questions about whether a non-disclosure agreement was part of the deal between Cosen and the Spurs.
That leaves us with an incomplete picture of what the Spurs did right and what they did wrong.
In one version of the story, they chose to prioritize investing in promising young players over reputable therapists whose complaints were kept to a minimum by management for several months.
Another version is that the Spurs carefully weighed the concerns of everyone involved, took a firm stand, and decided to put Primo in their future faster than any player drafted as much as he was waived in NBA history. I waved the important part of
Just as the Popovich and Buford comment fragments are equally likely, both versions of the fragment can be true at the same time.
But on Thursday, the Spurs at least acknowledged the limitations of making assumptions based on their strong values and reputation for culture “over a very long period of time.” is.
But what if, as Buford puts it, this is a “learning opportunity”?
They never forget who they want to be.
mfinger@express-news.net
Twitter: @mikefinger
