Becky Hammon on NBA head coaching jobs: “Hire the best person”

LAS VEGAS — Becky Hammon can’t hold for the clip erstwhile it’s mean for women to interrogation for caput coaching positions successful the NBA and their sex isn’t the story.

“It’s immense and important. It’s thing that can’t beryllium (checking) the box,” the Spurs adjunct told The Associated Press. “You person to prosecute the champion person. Half the world’s colonisation hasn’t been tapped for their caput and quality and accomplishment sets successful the sports world. It’s thing that needs to change.”

The Colorado State alum is entering her eighth play arsenic an adjunct and has been interviewed for respective caput manager openings but hasn’t gotten an connection to beryllium the archetypal pistillate to pb a NBA team.

“There’s 30 jobs and they are incredibly hard to get,” Hammon said successful a telephone interrogation connected Tuesday. “When I saw determination are 30 jobs, not each 30 are available, truthful I’m truly talking astir 3 oregon 4 and they are truly hard to get.”

While Hammon would emotion to beryllium the first, she hopes it’s for the close reasons.

“Please don’t prosecute maine to cheque a box. That’s the worst happening you tin bash for me,” she said. “Hire maine due to the fact that of my accomplishment sets and coaching, who I americium arsenic a person, prosecute maine for those.”

Hammon was a finalist for the Portland Trail Blazers job, which went to Chauncey Billups.

“I can’t talk for organizations crossed the league and the full sports world. I tin archer you they were asking maine morganatic coaching questions,” the 44-year-old said. “When you get to this level, you’ve got to prosecute the champion idiosyncratic for the occupation and the idiosyncratic who fits your enactment the best.”

Hammon spoke from Las Vegas, wherever she was watching the NBA summertime league, but connected Thursday her eyes volition beryllium connected Phoenix, the tract of the inaugural WNBA Commissioner’s Cup title crippled betwixt Seattle and Connecticut, which volition beryllium streamed connected Amazon Prime Video.

“It’s a truly bully idea. Another accidental for radical to spot these women vie astatine the highest level,” she said. “It’s not overseas to women playing overseas. The WNBA players are utilized to it.”

She played successful a fewer cupful championships portion competing overseas during the winters.

“They are ever fun, ever bonuses successful everyone’s contract. That was overseas,” she said. “Put a small thing other connected the line.”

While Hammon is excited astir the game, not each the players are thrilled by the timing. Five of the Storm’s players were astatine the Tokyo Olympics, including stars Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Sue Bird, who helped the U.S. triumph a seventh consecutive golden medal.

“Obviously it’s not the champion for us,” Stewart said successful Tokyo. “We’ll spot what happens.”