Spurs Hire Becky Hammon As NBA's First Full Time Female Coach; Coach Pop: 'Her Basketball I.Q., Work Ethic Will Be Great Benefit To Spurs'

The San Antonio Spurs just made history again by signing on the first female full time coach in the NBA. Becky Hammon, a W.N.B.A. player will be part of the Spurs' coaching staff as assistant coach for the upcoming season of the NBA.

Hammon is just about to retire after playing for 16 seasons for the W.N.B.A. She will become the second woman to be part of an N.B.A. coaching staff, after Lisa Boyer who served as a Cleveland Cavalier staff member during the 2001-2002 season. But Hammon is the first full time coaching staff member, because Boyer served only part time, and was not given renumeration for her work.

In 2013, Hammon was already part of the Spurs organization, although she was not an a full-fledged part of the coaching team yet. She suffered a knee injury as well in 2013, and this propelled her to consider a coaching job  after being disabled from furthering her basketball career.

During her career, Hammon was a point guard and was selected to be part of the W.N.B.A. All Stars six times. In 2011, she was recognized as one of the 15 best players in the leagues of all time. She spent the last eight seasons of her career with the San Antonio Stars.

""It's a tremendous challenge, and it comes with tremendous responsibility," Hammon said. "There have been so many other women that are doing really, really great things, and I'm just kind of following in their paths."

Coach Greg Popovich, a man who is known as hard to please, is himself impressed with Hammon. "Having observed her working with our team this past season, I'm confident her basketball I.Q., work ethic and interpersonal skills will be a great benefit to the Spurs," Coach Pop said in a statement.

Hammon shares that Popovich told her straight that she was being hired for her basketball credentials, "He says, 'It just so happens you're a woman,' " Hammon said.