Becky Hammon Could 'Very Easily' Serve as an NBA Head Coach, Says Gregg Popovich
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich vouched for Spurs assistant Becky Hammon's candidacy for a head coach position someday.
"She's somebody who is very skilled and could very easily fulfill the duties of a head coach in the NBA. That goes without saying," Popovich told reporters Friday.
Popovich also added comments about the glass ceiling women face in all fields.
"There are women in every endeavor in the world, whether it's government, science, technology, aviation, it doesn't matter what it is. Women do the same jobs as well and better as men...so there is no reason why somebody like Becky and other women can't be coaches in the NBA."
He continued: "There are many, many, many qualified women who are being held back, and it's just the nature of the world. Slowly changing, but the sooner the better."
Hammon became the first female acting head coach in NBA history when she took over for an ejected Popovich in the second quarter of the Spurs' 121-107 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
L.A. led 54-41 after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a pair of free throws after Popovich was assessed two technical fouls. The Hammon-led Spurs cut the lead to five in the second quarter and eight in the fourth quarter before L.A. pulled away in the fourth for the 14-point win.
Hammon has coached the Spurs as an assistant since 2014. She has been the Spurs' head coach for the summer league team, notably winning the Las Vegas Summer League title in 2015.
The 43-year-old also played professionally from 1999-2014 as a point guard with the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars in the WNBA and numerous teams overseas. She made the WNBA All-Star team six times.
Hammon, who is a dual citizen of Russia and the United States, also helped Russia win a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
There's no doubt that Hammon has an exceptional resume. The question seems "when" and not "if" Hammon gets a chance given her success and experience.
