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San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, left, talks to official David Guthrie during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, in San Antonio. Moments later Popovich received a technical foul.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SAN ANTONIO, Tex. – Gregg Popovich is universally regarded as one of the world’s finest basketball coaches, maybe the very best. But in years prior to this one, the San Antonio Spurs coach sometimes tuned into mid-major college games looking to improve.

“When (the Butler Bulldogs) were on TV, I watched the game to see what I could pick up, to see what (now-Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens) did, because he did such a fine job,” Popovich said Wednesday before his Spurs downed Boston, 104-93.

Coaches will search just about anywhere for advice. The practice is nothing new. Erik Spoelstra has attended Oregon football practices and Stevens considers Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy one of his greatest influences. Stevens has said he brings a notebook even when watching a high school game, just in case he spots a set he wants to adopt.

But Popovich revealed a lot of respect for Stevens – and for Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, who hired Stevens in July after the coach spent six seasons at Butler.

“I think we don’t see it enough, where ownership and GMs will actually look and say, ‘Who is coaching well?’ rather than ‘What name can I bring or what would this do or that?’” Popovich said. “But actually look around the country – it doesn’t matter what level – and say, ‘This guy is doing a hell of a job right here.’ Or maybe from another country: ‘This guy is doing a hell of a job.’ Whatever it might be. And Danny did that, so he deserves a lot of credit for it.”

When told Popovich used to watch Butler games to see if he could learn something, Stevens quipped, “Yeah, and the answer was no.”

But Popovich noted a lot he respected about those Butler teams, which Stevens twice brought to the national championship game.

“Good teams all have the same trademarks. It’s not like somebody owns the secrets to it,” said Popovich. “But they were a disciplined team, they were a creative team, they were committed, they played great D, unselfish on offense. It’s all the same things that win, but they did it consistently – year after year after year, game after game after game.”

“It’s a really kind thing for him to say,” said Stevens. “He’s at the top of our profession. I don’t think there’s any question about it, in a number of ways.”

The Popovich stamp of approval is like a young rapper getting a co-sign from Jay-Z. But still, Stevens’ NBA coaching record sits at 4-9 after falling to the Spurs.

No worries, according to Popovich, who said Stevens needs no advice because he’s “already a good coach in his own stead.”

“In this league, with the number of games and as talented as teams are … patience is probably a big commodity, especially in someone’s situation who’s used to winning night after night after night,” Popovich said. “It’s a little bit different when you’re rebuilding a program, and so patience on everybody’s part is really important. Danny (Ainge) has it and he understands the situation. All it will do is improve as time goes on, guaranteed.”