Assistant coach Becky Hammon is looking to break down another barrier for women at this year’s All-Star Game
A few days ago, it was announced that Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will coach the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game. While it is common that NBA coaches let their staff tag along for the All-Star Game, this time is very different. Assistant coach Becky Hammon will make history and be the first female to take part in this years All-Star Game festivities in Toronto. Hammon right next to Coach Pop and the rest of the NBA’s best.
The NBA tweeted the historic news:
Hammon was a former player for the WNBA, and appeared in six All-Star Games. She started as an assistant coach for the Spurs in 2014. History was made when she became the first ever female coach for the Spurs during the NBA’s Summer League. With her coaching skills, the Spurs won the Las Vegas Summer League title on July 20, 2015. That win helped break another barrier, as she became the first ever female head coach in the NBA to win a Summer League title.
Her hiring has been a sign of progression for women looking to break into professional sports. The Buffalo Bills recently hired Kathryn Smith to become the first female assistant coach in the NFL. In late 2015, the Sacramento Kings hired Nancy Lieberman as an assistant coach.
The Spurs, and maybe the entire NBA, could be the first league to start a change in sports. Their progressive ways may challenge the inequalities that women face, and Becky Hammon is in the front of that discussion. With her progression, it wouldn’t be surprising if (really, when) Hammon one day becomes an NBA head coach. Who knows, maybe she replaces Popovich whenever he decides to ride off into the sunset, if she isn’t first picked up by a team that finds her suitable.