[SHAMS] Spurs Asst Coach Becky Hammon closing in on WNBA Las Vegas Aces Head Coaching Job...

[Doctor MJ]

I don't know anything about his WNBA coaching career but I absolutely loathed him on the Pistons, so yeah...

Loos like he has 3 WNBA titles and is one of the winningest coaches. But your hatred is what makes my love for him stronger

Also per article, Laimbeer is most likely getting a front office position so it's not like Laimbeer was ousted to make room for Becky.

True, but the thing is that he was already the GM. I was kinda expecting the article to say that he was going to stop coaching but still be the GM, and maybe he will, but the implication of the article is that whatever front office position he'll be getting is one he didn't have before, and since the one he had before allowed him to run the basketball operations as he saw fit, this would seem to be a demotion. Perhaps a self-chosen demotion, but taking on a smaller role regardless.

[Raps in 4]

Look I’m not sexist, but I ain’t trying to see women coaching in the NBA.

“I’m not sexist, but we should exclude people based on their sex.”

- Balls Deep

[Doctor MJ]

I don't know anything about his WNBA coaching career but I absolutely loathed him on the Pistons, so yeah...

Loos like he has 3 WNBA titles and is one of the winningest coaches. But your hatred is what makes my love for him stronger

Does he? Considering the Aces have never won a WNBA title, how is that possible? With another team?

Anywho, before this old Celtics/Pistons rivalry gets microwaved further, I'm glad you love him as much as I loathe him and leave it there. Balance in the force and all that. Cheers!

Maybe they'll go farther under a Laimbeer/Hammon tandem.

Laimbeer coached the WNBA's Detroit franchise, the Shock, to 3 titles before the franchise moved to Tulsa and he elected not to go with them. He now has a total of 7 conference championships across 3 different franchises (New York Liberty being the other one), which I'd guess is the most of any coach but I could be wrong.

Also, while he was in Detroit, Laimbeer had Cheryl Reeve as an assistant. Reeve has since won 4 titles and 6 conference championships, so he's got that going for his coaching tree as well.

So yeah, I'd say he's got a serious case as the GOAT WNBA coach, and yeah, it's kinda weird. As a guy known for being such an unfeeling A-hole, one might have thought he'd have been disrespectful to female basketball players. Turns out, he seems to prefer coaching them to coaching men.

[DroseReturnChi]

pretty interesting

i thought she would persist in her dream for an NBA job
unless she thinks Pop is retiring, and it's time to move on

yep theres 30 jobs im shocked lotto teams didnt hire her for a 2 yr contract which is no risk.

[thamadkant]

I don't think she should take it.
She's in the NBA as a lead assistant... its far greater than being a head coach for the WNBA, no offense, but NBA is a million tiers above the WNBA in terms of quality of the product but also the prestige.

[Castle Black]

This is a major step-down as far as I’m concerned. The level of drop-off from the NBA to the WNBA is a big one. The bag they’re throwing at her must be ridiculous. But I also think she saw the writing on the wall that she wasn’t going to be the heir to Pop’s throne so she decided to move on. Oh well. Best of luck to her.

Side note: The Las Vegas Aces used to be the San Antonio Stars (before being sold and relocated in 2018), the team she played for and the one that retired her jersey. So she’s obviously familiar with that organization. That’s how she got to know Pop and got in with the Spurs organization in the first place.

[Rich Michmond]

Loos like he has 3 WNBA titles and is one of the winningest coaches. But your hatred is what makes my love for him stronger

Does he? Considering the Aces have never won a WNBA title, how is that possible? With another team?

Anywho, before this old Celtics/Pistons rivalry gets microwaved further, I'm glad you love him as much as I loathe him and leave it there. Balance in the force and all that. Cheers!

Maybe they'll go farther under a Laimbeer/Hammon tandem.

Laimbeer coached the WNBA's Detroit franchise, the Shock, to 3 titles before the franchise moved to Tulsa and he elected not to go with them. He now has a total of 7 conference championships across 3 different franchises (New York Liberty being the other one), which I'd guess is the most of any coach but I could be wrong.

Also, while he was in Detroit, Laimbeer had Cheryl Reeve as an assistant. Reeve has since won 4 titles and 6 conference championships, so he's got that going for his coaching tree as well.

So yeah, I'd say he's got a serious case as the GOAT WNBA coach, and yeah, it's kinda weird. As a guy known for being such an unfeeling A-hole, one might have thought he'd have been disrespectful to female basketball players. Turns out, he seems to prefer coaching them to coaching men.

It would be funny if Laimbeer got elected into the Hall of Fame as a coach and not as a player.

[JN61]

Look I’m not sexist, but I ain’t trying to see women coaching in the NBA.

Who cares if she is female or male as long as she can coach

Probably the insecure NBA manlets who have clearly been prevented her to get head coaching job in the NBA.

[thamadkant]

This is a step-down as far as I’m concerned. The level of drop-off from the NBA to the WNBA is a big one. The bag they’re throwing at her must be ridiculous. But I also think she saw the writing on the wall that she wasn’t going to be the heir to Pop’s throne so she decided to move on, why makes sense. Oh well. Best of luck to her.

Side note: The Las Vegas Aces used to be the San Antonio Stars (before relocating in 2018), the team she played for and the one that retired her jersey. So she’s obviously familiar with that organization. That’s how she got to know Pop and got in with the Spurs organization in the first place.

Still, the lifestyle of an Assistant Coach in the NBA is far greater than the WNBA head coach. I believe she will get any job as assistant anywhere with her credentials and experience under Pop. WNBA probably offering her headline name but still she could be the most marketed WNBA name and it would not matter... no one cares about the WNBA (its true). In the NBA, she might not headline teams, but she earns high six figures to low seven figures, get exposed to the TOP tier basketball competition in the world. Heck, assistant coach in the NBA is greater gig than Commissioner of WNBA (assuming its not same as NBA).

[-Luke-]

Who is now the new heir to the throne in San Antonio? First Hardy left and now Hammon?

[Gusto1903]

Soooo shes giving up on her Career then.

[J_T]

What’s landmark about it? Her salary?

Yep. Five year deal, highest paid WNBA coach.

I thought that WNBA salaries were not public?

[Dominator83]

Big shoes too fill, not sure how great of a coach he is cause I Don't watch the WNBA but it looks like he's had a good career there.

I don't know anything about his WNBA coaching career but I absolutely loathed him on the Pistons, so yeah...

Loos like he has 3 WNBA titles and is one of the winningest coaches. But your hatred is what makes my love for him stronger

Yea I'm a Bulls fan so I don't like him for obvious reasons. But he has carved out one hell of a body of work in the WNBA coaching circle.

[Gasolina]

Look I’m not sexist, but I ain’t trying to see women coaching in the NBA.

“I’m not sexist, but hwe should exclude people based on their sex.”

Yeah, that's not at all what he said.

You’re right, it was more like “I’m not sexist, but I don’t want to see people of a particular sex coaching in the NBA”.

Much better.

[nick p]

I wanted so badly for Becky Hammon to come to the Liberty

[Sofia]

Look I’m not sexist, but I ain’t trying to see women coaching in the NBA.

Crazy that such a simple bad post turns the thread into a dumpster fire

[hauntedcomputer]

Look I’m not sexist, but I ain’t trying to see women coaching in the NBA.

Who cares if she is female or male as long as she can coach

Male athletics/the locker room is a very vulgar place. I want be myself when around the boys. I would feel uncomfortable around a female coach, and I’m sure most males would. Why must women take everything from us?

Sounds like the kind of "myself" I definitely don't want to share a locker room with. And I suspect such vulgar people don't have all that much to "take."

[jokeboy86]

Like Hammon but they just put a ton of expectations on her with that contract. Aces made the Finals a few years ago so at minimum she probably has to win 2 titles to justify the contract. Yes she’s been an assistant for a long time but at this point she’s done less than some other prominent women’s college coaches and assistants (though college salaries are probably higher than the pros). To be honest I'm actually surprised that a power 5 program(women's or men's) hasn't thrown a boatload at Hammon all this time because of how high their salaries can get if you transform a program or turn it into a conference power unless they have but Hammon's sole goal has always been a job at the pro level

[Doctor MJ]

Does he? Considering the Aces have never won a WNBA title, how is that possible? With another team?

Anywho, before this old Celtics/Pistons rivalry gets microwaved further, I'm glad you love him as much as I loathe him and leave it there. Balance in the force and all that. Cheers!

Maybe they'll go farther under a Laimbeer/Hammon tandem.

Laimbeer coached the WNBA's Detroit franchise, the Shock, to 3 titles before the franchise moved to Tulsa and he elected not to go with them. He now has a total of 7 conference championships across 3 different franchises (New York Liberty being the other one), which I'd guess is the most of any coach but I could be wrong.

Also, while he was in Detroit, Laimbeer had Cheryl Reeve as an assistant. Reeve has since won 4 titles and 6 conference championships, so he's got that going for his coaching tree as well.

So yeah, I'd say he's got a serious case as the GOAT WNBA coach, and yeah, it's kinda weird. As a guy known for being such an unfeeling A-hole, one might have thought he'd have been disrespectful to female basketball players. Turns out, he seems to prefer coaching them to coaching men.

It would be funny if Laimbeer got elected into the Hall of Fame as a coach and not as a player.

Interesting point. I think it's clear that despite the fact a person can be candidates in more than one role, his total contribution tends bleed past those boundaries. My guess is that his WNBA coaching performance ends up getting him over the hump and into the Hall, whether that's officially as a coach or a player.

I'll add that Laimbeer was so disliked as an NBA player might have kept him from getting in previously - wouldn't have mattered for a clear cut candidate, but Laimbeer's the classic champion sidekick that needs a nudge - but if he has goodwill from the WNBA side, that could change things.

[Doctor MJ]

Like Hammon but they just put a ton of expectations on her with that contract. Aces made the Finals a few years ago so at minimum she probably has to win 2 titles to justify the contract. Yes she’s been an assistant for a long time but at this point she’s done less than some other prominent women’s college coaches and assistants (though college salaries are probably higher than the pros). To be honest I'm actually surprised that a power 5 program(women's or men's) hasn't thrown a boatload at Hammon all this time because of how high their salaries can get if you transform a program or turn it into a conference power unless they have but Hammon's sole goal has always been a job at the pro level

Oh I think if they win 1 championship they'll see it as a success. It will be interesting to see if that happens though. Won't be a shock if they do - probably the most talented team in the WNBA - but it hasn't happened yet and their strategy is counter to current trends - which are similar to NBA trends.

I'll also say that there's probably a component of media excitement they are counting on. Hammon has always been particularly popular, even beyond what her basketball play warranted.