Tip off for the NBA season is still about a month away, but it hasn't stopped San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich from sporting his roughest game face and bullying a reporter at the team's media day.

In a performance many would find unbecoming of arguably the greatest coach in NBA history, Popovich seemed determined to give the reporter nothing but grief. After nearly 90 seconds of nasty, the 66-year-old - whose Spurs side features Tim Duncan and Australian guard Patty Mills - realised his error and attempted to backtrack.

"I'm screwing with you because I'm just getting ready for the season. So that's why I'm doing this," Popovich said, smiling sheepishly and putting his arm around the reporter.

"Cancel all this stuff. Now we can start the real interview."

Earlier, there was nothing much to laugh about. After a light-hearted line about the coach's beard, Popovich, who is known for being an often surly interviewee, starts with "Are there some questions here you're going to ask me? Or what are we going to do?" And it's all downhill from there.

Oh, and full marks to the reporter, who barely flinches throughout the ordeal and even comes back with a decent line or two to help the veteran coach out of his hole.