Courtney Lee wants Sheryl Swoopes to be an NBA coach (Video)

By Josh Hill | Aug 5, 2015

May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee (5) shoots the basketball during the third quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The NBA has been insanely progressive when it comes to hiring women as coaches, and it has players like Courtney Lee requesting coaches to come over from the WNBA.

Becky Hammon was a barrier breaker and a pioneer who will go down in sports history as a trail blazer. She was the first female assistant in professional sports and has paved the way for others like Nancy Lieberman to get a shot as well. Not everyone is receptive to this idea, but knuckle dragger are going to drag.

Players in the NBA — the people who this progressive change directly effects — are excited to be a part of history and are looking towards to the future for more. Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee is among those excited to see where this goes and is already requesting the next female coach in the NBA.

TMZ asked the Grizzlies star what he thought of women coaching in the NBA, and he responded with a a suggestion for the next female coach in the league.

Sheryl Swoopes, like Beck Hammon and Nancy Lieberman, is well respected in the basketball community and would be someone that players very much could latch onto as a leader. You need to have respect of the players in the game, as regardless of gender that tends to cost folks the most when it comes to getting fired.

Tom Thibodaeu was an amazing coach for the Chicago Bulls, but lost the respect of the front office and was fired. Scott Brooks lost the respect of the players and was fired.

Both of those coaches were men — keep that in mind.

Swooped would come to the NBA with a resume in basketball that speaks for itself, and with both Hammon and Lieberman getting jobs, it’s only a matter of time before one of the greatest WNBA players ever gets to call the shots in the NBA.

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