In 2014, when Becky Hammon was hired by the San Antonio Spurs, she became the first female full-time assistant coach in all four of the major U.S. sports. Now, she’s progressed to the front row of coaches’ seats as the Spurs’ new assistant head coach.
The promotion came after Gregg Popovich’s assistant, James Borrego, moved on to become the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.
Hammon played 16 seasons in the WNBA, where she was a six-time All-Star and the league’s 9th-leading scorer. She was originally hired by the Spurs to coach its Summer League team, which she took to a championship.
While becoming the first female assistant coach in NBA history is a historic achievement, Hammon’s ascent may not be over this offseason. The Milwaukee Bucks reportedly plan to interview her for a head coaching position this offseason.
For those who doubt Hammon’s abilities and chalked her promotion up to a publicity stunt, Pau Gasol begs to differ.
He wrote an open letter for The Players Tribune singing Hammon’s praises:
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