San Antonio Spurs' Becky Hammon becomes first woman to lead NBA team
Becky Hammon says "it's a big deal, a substantial moment" after she made history on Wednesday night; The assistant coach took charge of the San Antonio Spurs as they faced the Los Angeles Lakers
Thursday 31 December 2020 14:02, UK
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon made history on Wednesday, becoming the first woman to take charge of an NBA team when she took over after head coach Gregg Popovich was ejected.
Popovich received two technical fouls with 3:56 left in the second quarter of the Spurs' eventual 121-107 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I did not walk into the arena thinking I would be coaching tonight, but that's the way things go and you roll with it, and I would have liked a different outcome," Hammon said.
"Overall, I would have loved to get a win tonight more than anything."
Hammon did not know she would be put in charge if Popovich were to be ejected from a game. How did she find out?
"He officially pointed at me," Hammon said. "That was it. He said, 'You got 'em.' That was it. Very Pop-like."
San Antonio trailed by 11 points at the time Popovich was ejected.
"We all group together, (assistant coaches) Will Hardy, Mitch Johnson, 'What can we do to help?' " Hammon said. "It was all about what can we do to help win... It was a great team effort, and they are in my ear giving me suggestions and helping with substitutions and whatnot. When Pop gets tossed, we all come together and become kind of another team."
Hammon, 43, has been an assistant coach for the Spurs since August 2014, the first woman to be paid for that job in an official, full-time capacity. She had a 16-year playing career in the WNBA, 1999-2006 with the New York Liberty and 2007-14 with the San Antonio Stars, the latter team owned by the Spurs.
"Obviously it's a big deal, a substantial moment," Hammon said of leading the Spurs on Wednesday. "I've been a part of this organisation. I got traded here in 2007, so I've been in San Antonio and part of the Spurs organisation with the Stars and everything for 13 years. So I have a lot of time invested, and they have a lot of time invested in me in building me and getting me better."
Highlights: LeBron James leads LA Lakers past San Antonio Spurs; LA Clippers and Charlotte Hornets win
LeBron James celebrated his 36th birthday by helping the Lakers to a 121-107 win over the Spurs, and the four-time MVP was full of praise for Hammon's achievement.
"She's been putting in the work and anytime you put in the work, you'll be rewarded with opportunities," he said.
"She has been paying her dues over the last few years.
"Tonight was a case where where she got to step in and show her worth and show our talent or her love for the game.
"What she did as a player, first of all, we all know that. And so in her mind, she was able to transfer over to our league, and she's been great ever since she got in.
"It's a beautiful day and she's there barking out calls, barking out sets, you know, and she's very passionate about the game. So congrats to her and congrats to our league."
Miami Heat turned the tables on the Milwaukee Bucks with a second-half turnaround, while Jaylen Brown scored a career-high 42 points to help the host Boston Celtics to a 126-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
