Becky Hammon to become first woman to serve as head coach in NBA summer league

SPORTS

Becky Hammon to become first woman to serve as head coach in NBA summer league

Tim Reynolds The Associated Press
Published Saturday, July 4, 2015 3:50PM EDT

San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches Becky Hammon and Ettore Messina, of Italy, watch during the second half of the Spurs' NBA preseason basketball game against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 16, 2014, in Phoenix. (Matt York / AP Photo)

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Becky Hammon had known for some time that she was going to be coaching San Antonio's summer league team in Las Vegas.

When her phone blew up Friday, she knew the secret was out.

Hammon spoke out for the first time Saturday about the history-making move by the Spurs, who have given the former WNBA star player the chance to become the first woman who'll serve as a head coach in an NBA summer league. She'll lead San Antonio's entry in the Las Vegas league -- the biggest of the three NBA summer showcases -- starting next weekend.

"I'm still seeing what kind of head coach I'm going to be," Hammon told reporters in San Antonio, with the video of the interview posted to the team's website.

She'll have a better idea of that in a couple weeks.

The Spurs will first play in a summer league at Utah starting Monday, when they'll be led by video co-ordinator Will Hardy. When they shift to Las Vegas for the league's biggest of its three summer showcases, Hammon -- given the assignment by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who made her the NBA's first paid full-time female assistant coach before last season -- will be in charge.

"I'm just thankful that Pop trusted me enough to give me this opportunity, because it is a big opportunity," Hammon said.

The Spurs will play at least five games in Las Vegas, starting on July 11. An All-Star in the WNBA, she played eight seasons each with the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars and she was at times the sort of player who didn't mind jawing with officials.

Will that carry over into her role as coach?

"I was pretty fiery as a player," Hammon said. "I racked up a few (technicals) as a player. As a head coach you have less control, so I don't know if that means more T's or less T's. So we'll see."

Hammon said she equates coaching with teaching, and teaching seems especially important in the summer league -- where most of the players don't have any NBA experience.

"It's funny because I've never really coached, but yet I've been coaching my whole career," Hammon said. "It's an interesting mix for me."