Adam Silver is rooting for a female head coach in the NBA, and he’d prefer it occur “sooner rather than later.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believes a woman will become a head coach in the NBA. In fact, he’d prefer it happen “sooner than later,” according to an ESPN report. This will shatter a similar glass ceiling to the one the democratic presidential nominee attempted to break last November.
Gregg Popovich is actually the first to this gender-equality party. The legendary coach of the San Antonio Spurs hired former WNBA star Becky Hammon as an assistant coach in 2014. Hammon became the first woman in NBA history to named a full-time assistant.
When a widely respected coach like Gregg Popovich takes the first step, you can rest assured others will eventually follow. As societal barriers and gender biases continue to crumble, this is more realistic today than ever before. Yes, there is a big difference between having a woman in an ancillary role versus the primary seat on the bench.
How will super wealthy players with egos respond to a woman being the top decision-maker as it relates to play-calling, rotations, and minutes? That is the million-dollar question. Male coaches get fired all the time because their best players do not respect them.
David Blatt is the most recent example as he struggled to corral the likes of LeBron James, who openly challenged his authority. Reportedly, players questioned Blatt’s credentials because he had never played nor coached in the NBA. The same has happened to many coaches who have made the jump from college to the pros.
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It’s imperative that coaches quickly garner the respect of their best players to ensure morale and longevity. If so many qualified male coaches have failed in this regard, what challenges await the league’s first female head coach?