Former WNBA player Becky Hammon made history on Wednesday night when she stepped up for Gregg Popovich and coached San Antonio Spurs during a game against Los Angeles Lakers at AT&T Center.
At some point, Popovich argued with refs about a foul call and they decided to eject the legendary head coach. That was bad for the team but they found a light at the end of the tunnel. Hammon took the reins of the team and coached them for the rest of the night.
Even though the Lakers left the court with a 121-107 victory, it was a great moment for the franchise and Becky Hammon, too. She made history and earned a lot of praise after the game despite the defeat against the current NBA champions.
LeBron James lauds Becky Hammon after becoming the first woman to coach an NBA game
LeBron James was one of those who had big praise for Hammon and her incredible milestone. After the game was over, the King took the time to send a message to Hammon for her historical night.
“It’s a beautiful thing just to hear her barking out calls, barking out sets,” LeBron said, via NBA on ESPN. “She’s very passionate about the game. Congrats to her and congrats to our league.”
Becky has been with the Spurs since 2014 and ever since that moment, people started wondering when she would get a chance to coach in the NBA. She’s taking little steps that have taken her this far and the Russian-American coach might be taking over a team in the future.
Obviously, she also spoke about her night, explaining that it was a big deal not only for her but the organization and the entire league. She’s had the best teacher of all and she’s taking the most advantage of that.
“Obviously, it’s a big deal,” Hammon said, via ESPN. “It’s a substantial moment. 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.”
This was something great; LeBron knows that; the fans know that and Becky knows that very well. The San Antonio Stars legend left a mark on his team and now will try to do the same with the Spurs.