It all happened very quickly, but of course this moment will be remembered by many in the world of basketball. Becky Hammon had been taken by surprise by the events in the hall of the San Antonio Spurs when it went against the LA Lakers last night.
In the middle of the second quarter she had received a few clear commands from her boss Gregg Popovich, gathered herself briefly with a few scratches on her forehead and there she stood with a tactics board in her hand: the first woman to play an official game in American professional sport Coached league operations. As head coach.
And the world spun on as if nothing had happened: LeBron James converted a free throw, the game continued. Hammons use made possible the old warrior Popovich, 71, actually head coach of the Spurs. He had to leave the arena because of two technical fouls in grudge against the referees, so Hammon, 43, took over. “He pointed to me on the way out and shouted: You are doing this,” said Hammon after her NBA debut as head coach on the sidelines.
Of course it was a “special moment” for her, she said, but it would have been even more special for her if she had won with the Spurs too. In the end, the Lakers spoiled her premiere for Dennis Schröder, who played again first class. The German national player got 21 points at 121: 107, he only made a few false throws and added four assists and four rebounds.
At the same time, James scored at least ten points in his 1000th game in a row (he ended up with 26) – a milestone, of course. But the main narrative of the game was rightly about Becky Hammon.
Their appearance did not come as a complete surprise. Hammon has been an accomplished trainer with ambitions for the top for years. Only last summer she had been traded as head coach at several NBA clubs before she stayed in Texas. San Antonio seems to be the right place for them, the Spurs and their president (Popovich also holds this position) have been building on their qualities as an assistant for seven years. In this role, Hammon works out moves, leads training and exchanges ideas closely with her sponsor Popovich.
All in all, she’s been in town for much longer, because when she was a professional herself, she was a playmaker for the WNBA team San Antonio Silver Stars. She was one of the best passers in her guild, became an all star several times, won titles in Spain and a bronze medal at the Olympics. For a long time she has stood for the creation of facts as a woman in men’s sports, for a new normal in which gender does not play a role in coaching.
Basically, she wants it to be “no big deal” in the long run when she leads an NBA team, but this one time it was “a big deal” because it was the very first time. “I’ve been here in San Antonio for 13 years and I’ve invested a lot of time,” she said, “but the club has also invested a lot of time and helped me improve.” In fact, the eccentric, life-wise Popovich has given her the scepter several times in preparation games and in the NBA Summer League. It is not unlikely that Hammon will inherit him as boss when he retires when his contract expires in 2022.
“She has all the tricks to be an outstanding coach in this league,” Popovich recently announced. “She understands the game, she knows how to win and how to lead a team.” This is actually how he has sounded for years when he talks about Hammon. And not just him. Her praises also come from many of the professionals who have played under her. For example, the Spaniard Pau Gasol, who has seen numerous successful coaches in his long career.
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