Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports

In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLIX, there was so much attention paid to Marshawn Lynch’s media habits that the conversation surrounding the Seattle Seahawks running back and his no-comment ways eventually bled into NBA circles.

From my own Twitter timeline to social media circles elsewhere, this understandable-but-off-base question was posed by fans and media members alike: How is Lynch’s refusal to play the media game any different than Gregg Popovich, and where is the outrage when the San Antonio Spurs coach breaks the rules of interview engagement?

In the interest of full disclosure, let it be known that I see Popovich as one of the best interview subjects in all the NBA. For all the focus on the terse responses or sarcastic quips he’ll occasionally offer in press conferences, or the uncomfortable between-quarter interviews on national telecasts that have largely defined his media decorum, the good outweighs the bad by a long shot when it comes to Popovich.

In a professional sports world where clichés and non-answer answers are largely the norm, he usually offers a rare kind of substance and candor that is often overlooked. Despite being one of the best basketball coaches of all time, he has a bigger-than-basketball outlook that is refreshing and a fascinating personal story that has been well-chronicled.

So we chatted about this topic Tuesday, when Popovich agreed to speak for the purpose of praising his beloved big man, Tim Duncan, but allowed a few minutes to indulge on this front at the start of our session. And while Popovich hardly deemed himself a media darling, he did open up about his sometimes-surly style and explain the reasons behind his approach.

Q: So people were asking me all week why your style was considered any different than Marshawn’s. I’ve got my own opinion, but how do you see it?

A: The only time I’m uncooperative is the end of the first or third quarter. Other than that, I do interviews and laugh it up with everybody all the time. I just have a philosophical difference with the NBA, and I let them know it every time. But that’s like 1% of the interviews that I do.

Q: Have you argued to have those after-quarter interviews eliminated?

A: Oh, Sure. Hell, I bring it up every year at the head coaches meeting in Chicago, when all the head coaches are there and TNT and ESPN and all the representatives. I raise my hand every year, and I say, “Well guys, you know what I’m going to say. I don’t understand why we have to do this, to subject the coaches and the questioners to this little period of idiocy. They (the TV people) are in our timeouts the entire game. They have cameras in our timeouts. They hear everything we say. They have microphones and they can use anything they want — you know, we trust them. So if they have total access like that, this end of first and third quarter actually takes us away from our job.” And that’s my philosophical difference with them.

I said, “I’m supposed to be setting the defense and offense to start the next quarter, and I can’t do my job because I’m doing this inane deal with whoever is asking me a question.” The questions are unanswerable. It’s like, “That quarter, you got killed on the boards. What are you going to do about it?.” “Well, I’m going to conduct a trade during timeouts.” Or, “I’m going to ask them nicely to do a better job on the boards.” The questions just demand a trite quip, or something, so I just say, “You know, it just puts everybody in a stupid position.” And (NBA officials) listen to it, and then they go, “Yeah, well (blabbering).” And then they don’t do anything about it. So I just do what I do.

Q: Have you given up yet as far as trying to get those interviews eliminated or do you just keep fighting?

A: Oh yeah. I’m going to say it every year. I do it, and then … two, three four times it’ll come up, and I’ll say I don’t agree with the NBA. They don’t need it. It’s superfluous. It’s awkward for the questioner. It puts the coach in a position where he looks ignorant or trite, or that “Well, one game at a time stuff,” or “Well, we’ll try to do better this quarter. Maybe we’ll shoot better.” It’s just — it makes no sense. You can’t answer a question in 10 seconds. You can’t do it. I’ve gotten to the point where I have fun with them now. It’s part humor, part sarcasm. If I have a questioner who’s really kind of fun, then we really have a good time. Like (TNT’s Craig) Sager or somebody.