Wednesday, 30 Dec 2020. 22:37
Becky Hammon became the first woman to lead an NBA team in a game as she replaced Gregg Popovich at the helm of the San Antonio Spurs when he was sent off on Wednesday.
The incident occurred before the end of the second quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers who won 121-107. Popovich walked onto the field and shouted at official Tony Brown as the latter did not fault on a stride shot attempt by DeMar DeRozan.
Hammon later took the reins along the sideline to give directions. She had already become the first assistant in NBA history. She enjoyed a career in the WNBA with the New York Liberty and the San Antonio Stars. She retired in 2014 to join the Popovich team.
In the win, LeBron James made history on his 36th birthday.
King James scored at least 10 points in a 1,000th straight game in the second quarter.
He had beaten the former brand owned by Michael Jordan on March 30, 2018 with 867 consecutive games. The last time he scored less than 10 points was on January 5, 2007.
In front of the Spurs, James ended his night with 26 points and eight assists, while Anthony Davis had 20 points and eight rebounds.
