Becky Hammon hired by Spurs as Assistant Coach

[Kevin]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11312 ... tscenterTW

Veteran WNBA player Becky Hammon is joining the reigning NBA champion San Antonio Spurs' coaching staff.

The Spurs made the announcement Tuesday. Terms of the contract were not revealed.

Hammon, who is currently in her 16th WNBA season, announced July 23 that she would retire as a player at the end of the 2014 season.

"I very much look forward to the addition of Becky Hammon to our staff," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said in a statement Tuesday. "Having observed her working with our team this past season, I'm confident her basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs."

Hammon is not the first woman hired to be an NBA assistant. Lisa Boyer, now associate head women's basketball coach at South Carolina, served on John Lucas' staff in Cleveland in the 2001-02 season.

When Hammon's 15th WNBA season was derailed because of a knee injury, she was invited by Popovich to attend his team's practices.

Popovich was asked in May whether women can coach men's players, and he replied, "I don't see why not. There shouldn't be any limitations. It's about talent and the ability to do things. It's not about what your sex is or your race or anything else."

Named one of the WNBA's top 15 players of al-time in July 2011, Hammon ranks seventh in WNBA history in points (with 5,809), fourth in assists (1,687) and sixth in games (445).

A six-time WNBA All-Star, Hammon has spent the last eight seasons with the San Antonio Stars. She is their all-time leader in assists (1,112) and three-point field goals made (493) while ranking second in franchise history in points (3,442) and games (218). In 2012 Hammon was the top vote getter for the Stars All-Decade Team.

The Spurs hired European coaching legend Ettore Messina to join Popovich's staff earlier this summer.

[Murat]

She is a legend for San Antonio Silver Stars, it would be interesting to see her at staff.

[shadowgrin]

Spurs are really intent on being boring by hiring a WNBA player to the bench.



http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/1088 ... -practices

Popovich recently joked about some changes at video sessions.

"The language is a lot cleaner with her in the room. We tend to bathe more, you know typical things you would think males would do around females," he said.

I'd say Tony Parker is the stinky one and Tim Duncan or Kawhi Leonard are the ones who say 'fuck' a lot that's why they don't talk much.

[[Q]]

Ive always been a fan of hers. Shes hot AND plays basketball?

Spurs taking the spotlight away from the woman that was an assistant coach in summer league for the clippers

[Andrew]

Good for her, and good for the league. Another barrier broken down.

[Bruce]

Shaq was right, the Spurs is a WNBA team.

[Andrew]

He's just mad they won more titles than him.

[Kenny]

It's the Spurs, so I'm expecting nothing short of genius with this move. It's always nice to see the league becoming more inclusive.

Ive always been a fan of hers. Shes hot AND plays basketball?

Now I'm imagining the San Antonio Spurs being like the NBA Live 98 quit screen for unrestricted free agents.

Are you sure you want to quit?
*Plays 10 more seasons with the Spurs*

[Kevin]

Just searched her pictures and daaaaaaaaamn, she's hot.

[Sauru]

i cant get on board with all this she is hot talk. she might be what i call "celebrity hot" but she is average at best.


i dont see why this wouldnt work or anything, she knows her shit, its all a matter of the players actually listening to a woman and seeing as its the spurs i dont think that will be an issue

[[Q]]

Ive always been a fan of hers. Shes hot AND plays basketball?

Now I'm imagining the San Antonio Spurs being like the NBA Live 98 quit screen for unrestricted free agents.

Are you sure you want to quit?
*Plays 10 more seasons with the Spurs*

we talked about doing that in Live 98 when you were here. So true.
*Waits for the trainer to leave* Coach, I got a knot in my neck right here... can you help me out?

[Bruce]

Ive always been a fan of hers. Shes hot AND plays basketball?

Now I'm imagining the San Antonio Spurs being like the NBA Live 98 quit screen for unrestricted free agents.

Are you sure you want to quit?
*Plays 10 more seasons with the Spurs*

we talked about doing that in Live 98 when you were here. So true.
*Waits for the trainer to leave* Coach, I got a knot in my neck right here... can you help me out?

made me think of tony parker and how he screwed brent barry's wife. lol