Rapid City native Becky Hammon made NBA history on Monday night when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Phoenix Suns 93-90 to win the 2015 NBA Las Vegas Summer League Championship. Hammon isn’t just the first female head coach to ever win a summer league title; she’s the first female to EVER head coach an NBA Summer League team.
During the 2014-15 NBA season, Hammon was an assistant coach for the Spurs. The organization then gave her the opportunity to head coach the franchise’s summer league team, and Hammon didn’t disappoint.
Hammon was also one of the best WNBA players in history. In 2011, she was named one of the top-15 WNBA players of all-time by the league. Hammon spent time with both the New York Liberty and San Antonio Silver Stars.
Some media members in the region think Hammon may become the first female head coach in NBA history.
It would be really cool if Becky Hammon became an NBA Head Coach some day. What a great message that would send to young females everywhere.
— Brandon Mileski (@BMileskiKFAN) July 21, 2015
I think it's safe to say, South Dakotans would be thrilled if this occurred.
If she was given that opportunity, she’d also be the first female head coach out of the big four (NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB), which is an incredibly big deal in the United States.
The video above is courtesy of the National Basketball Association
