Spurs hire first-ever female coach

[Prime Time]

Spurs make history by hiring female assistant coach
By: NICK SCHWARTZ 3 hours ago


Russia guard Becky Hammon during the 2012 Olympics. Photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

The San Antonio Spurs made history Tuesday, announcing that six-time WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon will join the team as an assistant coach for the 2014-15 season. Hammon, a 16-year WNBA veteran who has played for the San Antonio Stars since 2007, will retire after the current WNBA season concludes. Hammon has spent time with the Spurs already, while rehabbing a knee injury last winter, and head coach Gregg Popovich said in a release that Hammon will be an asset for the current NBA champions.

Via NBA.com:

“Having observed her working with our team this past season, I’m confident her basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs.”

Hammon is the first woman to be named a full-time assistant in NBA history. Lisa Boyer served as an assistant to Cavaliers head coach John Lucas II during the 2001-2002 season, but Lucas told USA TODAY Sports that Boyer was not paid by the team, did not travel to away games or sit on the bench. The Clippers also made former UCLA star Natalie Nakase an assistant in July, albeit only for a few weeks during Summer League play.

Nakase was the assistant video coordinator for the Clippers, but Doc Rivers asked her to be an assistant coach for the team over the summer. Nakase played college basketball at UCLA and went on to become a head coach of a men’s team in Japan before joining the Clippers. According to the NBA, Nakase will return to her job as a video coordinator during the regular season.

Hammon’s appointment to a full-time coaching role should open the doors for more women to lead NBA teams.

 

[RamFan503]

Sorry - but she was born in SD and not even to Russian immigrants. She then goes on to play for the Russians and takes on a dual citizenship? To me that's bullshit. Never mind that it is pretty lame to even be allowed to do that, with our history with Russia/Soviet Union over the last 70 years or so? Screw that. I now want the Spurs to tank.

Not good enough to play for the Americans so you become a Russian citizen? That's fucked up IMO.

 

[ZigZagRam]

Sorry - but she was born in SD and not even to Russian immigrants. She then goes on to play for the Russians and takes on a dual citizenship? To me that's bullcrap. Never mind that it is pretty lame to even be allowed to do that, with our history with Russia/Soviet Union over the last 70 years or so? Screw that. I now want the Spurs to tank.

Not good enough to play for the Americans so you become a Russian citizen? That's fucked up IMO.

Jingoism at it's finest right there.

God Bless America and all that, but come on...

In response to the OP, I'm glad women are now getting a chance to take these kind of jobs in sports. You can either coach or you can't. Has nothing to do with your sex.

Always cracked me up when I heard people flipping out when a woman tried to join a PGA tournament and what not. Oh no! Not golf!

If they can compete, let em compete. Don't be scared.

 

[GreeneCounty]

Putin agent,lol