San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich may have been ejected on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, but it paved the way for Becky Hammon to become the first woman to serve as an NBA head coach. Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan shared their thoughts on Hammon's milestone, calling the coach part of the crew and wishing her nothing but the best moving forward.
Per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio News-Express, Murray expressed his desire to see Hammon be named as a head coach in the NBA. Murray knows that it's a tough journey. But he's hoping that Hammon stays the course.
Dejounte Murray on Becky Hammon someday become a HC in NBA: "The future is bright for her. I hope she sticks to it and doesn’t give up. One day it may happen, or it may not happen. Who knows? But she is definitely on the right road, and I think everyone here appreciates her."
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) December 31, 2020
As for DeRozan, he shared that the Spurs have nothing but respect for Hammon, who's been one of the Spurs' assistant coaches since 2014.
DeMar DeRozan on Becky Hammon: "She’s one of us. When she speaks, we are all ears. It’s great having her."
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) December 31, 2020
Hammon was called up to be the Spurs' head coach after Popovich got ejected with 3:56 remaining in the second quarter. Though the Spurs lost, Hammon expressed how remarkable the moment was. She recalled being traded to the San Antonio Stars from the New York Liberty in 2007. The relationship with the organization bloomed from there.
“Obviously, it's a big deal, it's a substantial moment,” Hammon said after the game, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I've been a part of this organization. I got traded here in 2007, so I've been in San Antonio and part of the Spurs and sports organization with the Stars and everything for 13 years. So, I have a lot of time invested, and they have a lot of time invested in me in building me and getting me better.”
Perhaps time will only tell if Hammon does end up being a fully-fledged NBA coach. She has a pretty good shot at it. It helps that Gregg Popovich — one of the greatest coaches of all time — is in her corner.
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