“You made it,” said San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, coach Gregg Popovich told her when he left the court during the second quarter of a home game against defending league champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Hammon therefore became the first woman to coach an NBA team on Wednesday after Popovich was sent off for shouting at a referee and entering the court after a non-call.
“I try not to think about the huge picture and the huge aspect of it because it can be overwhelming,” said Hammon, according to the Associated Press. “I really didn’t have time to reflect. I didn’t have time to look at my phone. So I don’t know what’s going on outside the AT&T Center.”
She said at that historic moment that she was just trying to put players in the right places.
“Trying to motivate them. Obviously, it’s a learning situation for all of us, but I would have loved to go out there with a win with the guys.”
BECKY HAMMON VISITS MURAL IN HONOR, FOCUSES ON THE DREAM OF HEAD-COACHING
San Antonio Spurs technical assistant Becky Hammon stops for a timeout in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in San Antonio, Wednesday, December 30, 2020. Hammon became the first woman to lead an NBA team, taking charge of Spurs after coach Gregg Popovich was sent off in the 121-107 loss to the Lakers. (Associated Press)
Los Angeles beat San Antonio 121-107, but Laker LeBron James had a lot to say about Hammon’s landmark.
“Obviously she’s been paying off her debts for the past few years and Coach Pop gave her the opportunity,” said James, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Wednesday. “It’s a beautiful thing to just hear her screaming, barking sets. She is very passionate about the game. Congratulations to her and congratulations on our league.”
Lakers coach Frank Vogel called the moment “well deserved”.
“I’ve talked to her before and she really knows what she’s doing and she’s obviously here for a reason. She’s equipped, smart (and the) guys have great respect for her. She’ll be a great coach someday.”
Spurs player DeMar DeRozan said Hammon is always quick, even in timeouts with Popovitch.
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“It tells us about defensive assignments, offensive sets that we must perform,” he said. “To see her at the forefront, it would definitely have been nice to have won for her.”
Three-time All-American at Colorado State, Hammon played for New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars at the WNBA, as well as abroad, before retiring to join Popovich’s team in 2014.
Hammon was the first full-time technical assistant in the league’s history.
The Lakers took their first double-digit advantage at 35-25 in Kyle Kuzma’s 3-point basket with 1:14 remaining in the first quarter.
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DeRozan scored 23 points for Spurs, who lost the second consecutive time after opening the season with two consecutive wins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.