Hammon becomes the first full-time female assistant in the NBA, second overall after Lisa Boyer…
The San Antonio Spurs have hired WNBA veteran Becky Hammon to join their coaching staff after she impressed during her spell with the franchise last season.
Hammon becomes the first full-time, paid female assistant on an NBA coaching staff after 16 seasons in the WNBA, as she will retire from playing at the end of the San Antonio Stars’ current campaign.
During the 2001-2002 season, Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas added Lisa Boyer to his staff for practices and games, but she was not paid by the franchise and did not travel with the team.
“Nothing in my life has really ever been easy. I’ve always been someone who did it uphill,” Hammon said, ESPN reports.
“I’m up for challenges. I’m up for being outside the box, making tough decisions and challenges. … And I’m a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. Throw those all in there and this was the perfect challenge and opportunity.”
Coach Gregg Popovich revealed his delight at the news after observing Hammon working with the team last season as she battled injuries which kept her out of competing on the court herself, he is “confident her basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs”.
Last season, Hammon attended Spurs practices, film sessions and sat behind the bench at home games after suffering from a torn ACL which kept her out of action for the Stars.
Nevertheless, it is a real breakthrough for women in sports, as although Hammon conceded that it is impossible to have a female compete in the NBA on the court, when it comes to the analytical side of the game, it is time that they were more involved in the mix.
Hammon also joked that she doesn’t expect it to be long before Popovich is yelling at her too, but she is undoubtedly excited about the new chapter in her basketball life with her first task being to contribute in order to help the Spurs retain their title next season.
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