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According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, long-time Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon will soon interview for the head coaching positions with the Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic.
Spurs assistant Becky Hammon -- who this season became the first woman to serve as head coach in an NBA game -- will soon interview for the Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic head coaching jobs, sources said. https://t.co/BSXe6jt45J https://t.co/q7HlrKr2Fd
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 12, 2021
If Hammon were to be selected for either position, she would become the first female NBA head coach in league history. If she does get hired, it wouldn’t be the first time Hammon would make history; back in December 2020, she became the first female to act as a head coach in a game after Pop was ejected during a match against the Lakers.
Hammon, 44, has been an assistant coach with San Antonio since the 2014-15 season and has been linked to numerous head coaching positions over the past few years. Some people have speculated that she’s in line to take over as the next Spurs head coach once Pop retires. However, the 72-year-old still has two seasons remaining on his current contract and hasn’t indicated when he wants to step down, so allowing Hammon to pursue other opportunities makes sense.
It will definitely be bittersweet if Hammon leaves San Antonio, but there’s no doubt that she deserves a head coaching position in the league. More importantly, she will become an even bigger inspiration to females in the sports industry by being promoted, which will help grow the game of basketball and further promote equality in the NBA.