LeBron James on Female NBA Coaches: If She Knows What She's Doing, We'll Love It
LeBron James doesn't care who his coach is—as long as he or she knows the game of basketball.
Last month, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon was a candidate for the men's basketball head coaching job at her alma mater, Colorado State. The job ultimately went to former Rams assistant coach Niko Medved, but the conversation about a female coach being hired to coach men's hoops was stirred up.
James made it clear players only look for one thing in a coach, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin:
"If you know the game, then everybody is accepting of that. It's the same thing with players. You have different walks and shapes and lives of players, but if you can play, you can play. You always accept it. You can't play, you can't play. If you know the game, you're always accepted. If you don't know the game, it's all about your knowledge of the game. it shouldn't matter if you're a male or a female."
The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar continued, citing ESPN sideline reporter Doris Burke as the perfect example to support the cause.
"Listen, we have so many female reporters now that know the game and they cover the game," James said, per McMenamin. "I mean, you look at Doris Burke [Wednesday] night, she's one of the greatest that we have in our game. She knows the game, so it doesn't matter."
Hammon was hired by San Antonio back in August 2014, becoming the first full-time, paid female assistant on an NBA coaching staff. Since then, she has coached the summer league—which the Spurs won under her command—and during a preseason game.
"There's also some female coaches in the NFL," James added, per McMenamin. "... It's cool. If you know the game, you know the game. I love talking the game, so I don't think of it being a problem at all."
It may only be a matter of time before Hammon gets a shot to be a head coach. As she waits for the opportunity, she at least has the support of the best player in the world.
