Becky Hammon is Gregg Popovich’s lead assistant coach. She’s been on the bench for the Spurs for six seasons now and worked her way up their coaching ranks.
So when Popovich misses a game and Hammon is not slotted as the team’s acting head coach, it’s totally fair to question why that is so. That’s what NBA fans were doing when it was reported that Popovich was missing Tuesday night’s game for personal reasons.
Spurs legend Tim Duncan, who was just hired by the team last July, will coach in Popovich’s place instead of Hammon. And NBA fans, naturally, had questions.
I mean, I am curious as to why it's not Becky Hammon, but if you're asking why the Spurs might get a benefit of the doubt that the Knicks don't, I'd point to the last 22 years. https://t.co/xTRz2qF1Vn
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) March 3, 2020
I love Tim, but what about Becky Hammon?! https://t.co/TWU9polhwx
— Allyson (@AllysnCarpenter) March 3, 2020
Serious question: Why not Becky Hammon? https://t.co/A0mnfkXNlI
— Eric Adelson (@eric_adelson) March 3, 2020
What makes this even weirder is the reports that Hammon could be addressing the media instead of Duncan.
Hearing Becky Hammon could be addressing media post-game. Either Hammon or Hardy, but not Tim.
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) March 3, 2020
It’s an odd situation that the internet is trying to figure out. One theory is that the Spurs are grooming Duncan to be the head coach once Popovich leaves the organization.
Tim Duncan being an assistant coach in the first place was weird. No multi-time MVP winner has ever been one. Magic and Bird were head coaches. Jordan was a POBO and then an owner.
No matter how you feel about Becky Hammon, Duncan probably wasn't hired just to be an assistant.
— Samuel H. Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) March 3, 2020
That theory doesn’t really hold up, though. Sure, they might not be hiring one of the greatest players of all-time to JUST be an assistant coach.
But there aren’t many assistant coaches in the NBA who don’t have aspirations of being anything more than an assistant coach and that includes Hammon. And it’s no secret that she has interest in being a head coach —she’s interested in the Knicks job, for crying out loud.
The answer to fans’ Hammon questions may lie in a scenario from earlier this season. When Popovich was ejected from a game against the Trail Blazers it appeared that Hammon was making calls from the bench but Popovich himself told us that Duncan was the “acting head coach” but that his assistants have an arrangement where they’re coaching by committee.
Duncan was named acting head coach because he was assigned to scout that team. Hammon had the clipboard and even led a huddle, but wasn’t technically the head coach.
Duncan could just have been assigned this team again. And maybe Duncan not having to address the media alludes to that. It’s hard to say and we don’t want to assume.
For now, we have more questions than answers. Hopefully, once the media gets a hold of one of these coaches tonight, more will be revealed.
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