San Antonio Spurs big man Pau Gasol has seen a lot of things in his 17-year career in the NBA. He can now cross “discussing female coaches” off as well. In a piece penned to the Players Tribune, Pau Gasol discusses the prospect of women in the NBA, Becky Hammon as a head coach, and why she is more than qualified to lead to a team.
“…I’ve played with some of the best players of this generation … and I’ve played under two of the sharpest minds in the history of sports, in Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. And I’m telling you: Becky Hammon can coach. I’m not saying she can coach pretty well. I’m not saying she can coach enough to get by. I’m not saying she can coach almost at the level of the NBA’s male coaches. I’m saying: Becky Hammon can coach NBA basketball. Period.”
Hammon is getting consideration from the Milwaukee Bucks for their head coaching vacancy, among other candidates. This would be the first time that a female has even interviewed for a head coaching position. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich agrees with Gasol, and has agreed for some time.
Gasol also dispels the notion that the Spurs hiring Hammon was a PR stunt. San Antonio has a winning history and a particular method of achieving their goals. “We’re talking about the NBA here — a business where there’s a lot of money on the line, and little patience for mediocrity,” Gasol continues. “Also we’re talking about the San Antonio Spurs, one of the most successful NBA franchises of this century: a system that has produced David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili, Tony Parker — and that’s just the Hall of Famers. This is a team that won 50+ games for 18-straight seasons, and five championships in the last 20 years.”
Would you really expect Coach Pop to develop his staff any differently than he develops his players? Of course not. Pop’s (Spurs coach Gregg Poplvich) only standard for doing anything is whether it’ll help us in just one way … and it isn’t getting good p.r. It’s getting W’s. And getting those W’s The Spurs Way.”
Pau Gasol also wants to see the NBA innovate outside of the game itself, but as a work space as a whole. “I hope the NBA will never feel satisfied with being forward-thinking “for a sports league.” Let’s strive to be forward-thinking for an industry of any kind.”
