Olympian Hammon Blazes Trail as First Female on NBA Bench

(ATR) An Olympic basketball player made American sports history on Monday.

Becky Hammon has accepted a position as assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. She becomes the first paid female coach in the league’s history.

Currently in her 16th season as a professional, Hammon plays for the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. She plans to retire once the current season is complete.

"I very much look forward to the addition of Becky Hammon to our staff," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said in a statement, according to USA Today. "Having observed her working with our team this past season, I’m confident her basketball IQ, work ethic, and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs."

Popovich and the Spurs won the NBA championship this past June, their fifth in the past 16 seasons.

"I know Coach Pop has made it very clear to me that I’m being hired because of my basketball IQ and because I’m qualified," said Hammon. "He said, ‘It just so happens you are a woman, but I’m hiring you because of your IQ and your personal relationship skills.’"

Hammon is the first woman to serve on an NBA staff since Lisa Boyer acted as a volunteer assistant coach under John Lucas for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2002. Boyer did not travel with the team, however, and was not able to sit on the bench given rules at the time restricting the number of assistants on the sidelines.

"I’m just grateful that they see something in me that fits in with them and their organization," said Hammon.

Hammon, 37, competed in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics as a member of the Russian women’s basketball team, winning bronze in Beijing. A native of the United States, she chose to play for Russia after being passed over by the U.S. team.

Written by Nick Devlin

Homepage photo: Getty Images

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