SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Becky Hammon became the first woman to manage a team in NBA history, taking over for the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers after Gregg Popovich was ejected in The first half.
Popovich was ejected by official Tony Brown with 3:56 remaining in the second quarter. Popovich yelled at Brown and walked onto the court after a foul call on DeMar DeRozan’s layup attempt and a subsequent rebound attempt by Drew Eubanks. Popovich was applauded as he walked off the court by several members of the team’s family who were in attendance at the AT&T Center.
Hammon took care of the team’s huddles during timeouts and walked the sideline after Popovich’s ejection. Hammon was the first full-time female assistant coach in league history.
Tim Duncan took over last season when Popovich was ejected against Portland on Nov. 16, 2019. The Hall of Famer opted not to return as an assistant this season.
A three-time All-American at Colorado State, Hammon played for the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars in the WNBA as well as overseas before retiring to join Popovich’s staff in 2014.
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