The San Antonio Spurs have scouted some talent from the WNBA to help their guys step up their game!
BleacherReport.com reports that the Spurs have hired six-time all-star Becky Hammon as the NBA’s first paid female assistant coach. According to Jesse Himself, Lisa Boyle acted as assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers on a voluntary basis back in 2001. Becky began playing professionally as part of the New York Liberty, but in 2007 she joined the San Antonio Stars.
Although she’d hit the floor for San Antonio for years, USA Today reports that she initially met Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich on a flight home from the 2012 London Olympics, so he’d had his eye on her for a while before she joined the men’s team.
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“I’m confident her basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs,” Gregg said in a press release.
News of Becky’s move to the Spurs came just after she’d announced her retirement from the Stars in late July. When it was revealed that she’d become the NBA’s first paid female coach, she was flooded with well wishes and congratulations on Twitter.
Congrats to @BeckyHammon for becoming the first @nba Female Assistant Coach! Go @spurs bravo! http://t.co/X5MO29KQIc pic.twitter.com/kAsxb9xoZ0
— Jeanette Jenkins (@JeanetteJenkins) August 6, 2014
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Most notably, President Barack Obama even took a bit of time to congratulate Becky on her career milestone.
Congrats to @BeckyHammon, @NBA‘s first full-time female coach. When #WomenSucceed, America succeeds — and we know the @Spurs will, too. -bo — The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 7, 2014
Becky graciously accepted all of the love, tweeting:
Thanks for all the love & support today!! I feel incredibly blessed, grateful, surreal & excited all at the same time!
— Becky Hammon (@BeckyHammon) August 5, 2014
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