Spurs coach Gregg Popovich that he never thought hiring Becky Hammon as an assistant would cause such a stir.
“Honestly, I didn’t realize it was gonna be this big of a deal,” he said. “People kind of went crazy, like we’ve saved the world from fascism or something.”
This is one of the few times where Popovich, widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches, was wrong. It is a big deal.
Hammon is a big deal.
Tuesday evening, when the Spurs host the Mavericks (6 p.m. MT, TNT) to open the 2014-15 NBA season, as the first paid female assistant coach in any of the four major North American pro sports. The Colorado State product and soon-to-be Colorado Hall of Fame inductee, will do what she’s done so many times before: break down a barrier not just for females but everyone in sports.
While at CSU, from 1995-99, Hammon became the all-time leading scorer in the Western Athletic Conference — man or woman — and set in nearly every offensive category: total points (2,740), scoring average (21.92 per game), field goals made (918), field goals attempted (1,894), free throws made (539), free throws attempted (641), steals (315), assists (538), made 3-pointers (365) and attempted 3-pointers (888).
She signed with the WNBA’s New York Liberty in May of 1999 after going undrafted and, in 16 seasons and with two teams, has since appeared in six All-Star Games and was voted as one of the best 15 players in league history.
In October, it was announced she would be , alongside Chauncey Billups, as part of the Class of 2015.
Her numbers and achievements speak for themselves, but gaining the support of NBA greats like Popovich and Kobe Bryant, and even the President of the United States, isn’t easy and its significance can’t be overstated.
Congrats to , ‘s first full-time female coach. When , America succeeds — and we know the will, too. -bo
— The White House (@WhiteHouse)
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How’s this for a compliment? Kobe Bryant says of “Big fan of Becky since she was in college. Very bright basketball mind.”
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne)
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Hammon recently sat down with WNBA forward Swin Cash and acknowledged the weight of her NBA achievement, but noted it is still just a game. Male or female, the game is the same, and having a ponytail has no bearing on one’s ability to coach or play.
“At the end of the day, it’s basketball. A pick-and-roll is a pick-and-roll. A pick-and-pop is a pick-and-pop. It’s all the same stuff,” she said. “Now, granted, in the WNBA we obviously don’t have defenses designed to stop lob plays.
“There are always going to be some haters in the crowd. Haters are gonna hate.”
They will and they have. But it seems Hammon, at only 5-foot-6, will always win that fight.
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