San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills (8) talks with assistant coach Becky Hammon during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in San Antonio, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020. San Antonio won 114-90. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Eric Gay, STF / Associated Press
For too long, NBA head coaching searches have only resulted in men being hired. Some of those men have no business being head coaches due to failing in previous attempts. One name has been mentioned for the last few years. Nothing has come out of it, but that needs to change. Becky Hammon is the most qualified coaching candidate that has yet to be hired.
Hammon played in the WNBA as a point guard. She played mostly for the San Antonio Stars, before they became the Las Vegas Aces. She also played with the New York Liberty, and internationally with teams in Russia. In 2014, she retired from playing and has been coaching for the San Antonio Spurs ever since. She is the head assistant and second in command to Greg Popovich. In 2020, she became the first woman to serve as an acting head coach in an NBA game when Popovich was ejected. Hammon also became the first female summer league head coach in 2015. She led the Spurs summer league team to a championship.
Long Overdue
Pau Gasol endorsed Hammon after playing under her. Gasol made it clear that Hammon can coach NBA basketball, and that she is well respected. She had garnered interviews for open head coaching vacancies before. The Milwaukee Bucks even brought her in to interview for the vacant general manager position in 2019. The Portland Trail Blazers have brought Hammon in for a second interview. She is reportedly a finalist for the head coaching job.
The Boston Celtics are also interviewing Hammon for a second time, and has interviewed with the Orlando Magic. This is the first time a woman has made it into the final stages of the NBA head coach hiring process. According to a report, Trail Blazers chair Jody Allen wants Hammon for the job. If Allen gets her way, it will happen.
Society has been dominated by men in leadership for long enough. Hammon has put in the work and has earned the respect of peers and players. I am pulling for Becky Hammon, and you should be, too.
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