Although 2020 is almost over, it is advancing sports goals. On Wednesday night, for the first time, a woman served as head coach in an NBA game.
When Spurs coach Greg Popovich was fired after arguing with the referee in the second quarter of the game with the Los Angeles Lakers in the San Antonio, he turned to his assistant Becky Hayman and suggested he should handle the team.
“He officially turned his attention to me,” Ham said. “It simply came to our notice then. Said, ‘You’ve got them.’ Obviously, that’s a big deal. It’s a remarkable moment. “
“It was a business as usual,” he added. “They are used to hearing my voice in practice. In practice, Pop will put us in two teams and we will have one team. So they accustomed me to kind of hearing, when I was drawn or not seen playing on the board. ”
Still, during the game, not much was made of the milestone, which the Lakers won 121-107, after that and the reaction on social media came out.
“It’s a beautiful set to hear the sound of her barking,” said LeBron James of the Lakers. “He has a lot of passion for the game. So congratulations to her, congratulations to our league. ”
Hayman, 43, played 16 years at the WNBA, where she was a six-time All-Star. U.S. After passing for the Olympic team, he represented Russia, where he also played professionally, in the 2008 and 2012 games.
In 2014, she became the league’s first full-time female assistant coach. At the time, he said of Popovich: “Honestly, I don’t think he gives two cents. I’m a woman. And I don’t want to take on the job because I’m a woman.” Was the head coach who won the title in 2015.
Hayman’s trailblazing in the league has sparked speculation that he will one day become head coach, and he has been known to be a candidate for many top jobs in the past, most recently the Indiana Pacers.
“The future is bright for him,” Spurs’ Dijont Murray said after the game. “I hope she just sticks to it and won’t give up. One day it can happen, it can’t happen, who knows, but it’s definitely on the right track.”
Ham demanded to focus on his duties.
“I’m with the boys right now,” he said. “Trying to figure out what the best way to help them is.”
