The New York Knicks had yet to open their head coaching job up to outside candidates after landing on interim Mike Miller in the wake of David Fizdale's firing. Yet NBA analyst Charles Barkley has heard the rumblings that San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon could be in the running for the position once it becomes available.
Barkley thinks Hammon is worthy of a head-coaching opportunity, but she shouldn't take a job that could have her destined for failure.
“Somebody's gonna give her a chance,” Charles Barkley told TMZ Sports. “I don't think she should take THAT job. Don't take a bad job!”
For the exception of Mike D'Antoni and Mike Woodson, no coach has lasted more than two seasons leading the Knicks since 2004 — a true testament of the lack of stability and constant disarray that floods the franchise.
Becky Hammon is primed to become the first female head coach in NBA history someday, having already put in the work under Gregg Popovich's coaching staff since 2014. A six-time WNBA All-Star, Hammon has played the game at the greatest level and spent a great deal of time learning under a master of Xs and Os, soaking in a wealth of knowledge from one of the game's most reputable tacticians.
Herb Williams, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas, Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, Jeff Hornacek, and now Fizdale have all been victims of a caustically-run organization, and even the great Lenny Wilkens — one of the most renowned coaches in NBA history — didn't last a full 82 games before resigning his post in 2005.
Hammon's time will come, but according to Barkley, it's not one that should start with the Knickerbockers.
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