The NBA is closing in on a monumental milestone. San Antonio Spurs Assistant Becky Hammon could become the first woman to be the head coach of a NBA team. The Milwaukee Bucks will interview Hammon soon. Former Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer is the front-runner but there could be an opportunity in Detroit for her. At this time, Milwaukee, Detroit and Atlanta all need head coaches. However, Atlanta doesn’t appear to consider Hammon a candidate at the moment.
Hammon may not get the Bucks job but don’t count her out as a candidate for the Pistons. The Hawks won’t hire oddly enough and questions may be raised in Toronto soon. It is too early to speculate if the Raptors will initiate a head coach search but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
How close is Hammon to taking the lead? It could happen next season. She learned from Greg Popovich so she benefits from his knowledge. Who wouldn’t her with such an impressive background? Maybe the Hawks should at least interview her. Teams that need a head coach should do their due diligence and interview Hammon. It would be wise to at least consider her a top-tier candidate. Hammon also played for the WNBA’s New York Liberty. The Liberty traded Hammon to the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2007. Hammon was criticized for playing the Russian National team instead of the United States in the Olympics. Her decision was ill received by many people.
She announced here retirement in 2013 following an ACL tear and joined the San Antonio Spurs staff as Assistant Coach in 2014. Is Hammon ready for the next step in her career? The Pistons may be the best fit for Hammon. Detroit is typically a playoff caliber team and she may be the right coach for the Pistons.