| Historic Hiring |
| By Sally Haase August 8, 2014 August 5, 2014 was a historic day for the NBA, women and sports in general; reining champion San Antonio Spurs hired Becky Hammon as an assistant coach. Hammon is one of the best players in the WNBA for San Antonio’s own Stars. Hammon plans on retiring at the end of the season and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich quickly snatched her up before anyone else had a chance. Popovich knew of Hammon’s basketball skills and mind through her years of playing for the Stars. When Hammon went down with a knee injury last July, Popovich invited her to the Spurs training facility to work with the team as a coach while she rehabbed her knee. After working together Popovich stated that Hammon would be the first female head coach in the NBA. Considering Popovich has helped create one of the best teams in the NBA, he must know his stuff. It will certainly be an uphill battle for Hammon to become a head coach in the NBA, but she has someone and a team who believes in her and sometimes that is all you need to get your foot in the door. Another great thing about the announcement of this hiring has been the positive reaction to it, we are in the 21 century after all, and it’s time for women to get a shot in men’s sports. There will be some negative comments, there always will be, but Hammon, Popovich, and the Spurs will handle it with class and dignity. The six time WNBA all-star Hammon is actually the second woman hired by a NBA team; the Cleveland Cavaliers hired Lisa Boyer to work with the team during her time coaching the WNBA’s Cleveland Rockers, although Boyer never sat on the bench during games nor traveled with the team on road trips. Hammon will be included in all of that just like every assistant coach in the NBA, so Hammon is the first full-time coach hired by an NBA team. I have been watching Hammon play for the past four years and she is one of the best the WNBA has ever seen, scrappy would surely be a word to describe her on the court. She is a playmaker, an excellent outside shooter; seriously, when she finds her groove every shot she puts up goes in. And the most important thing when looking for a player who will make a great coach is the “coach on the court” leadership and Hammon definitely possesses that skill. Hammon spent 16 season in the WNBA and did not have the pleasure of winning a championship, even though her skills were deserving of one. With the Stars record the way it is, she will not get one to end her career, but she could help coach the Spurs to yet another championship. |
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