NBA Commisioner Anticipates Female Head Coach in NBA Very Soon
The idea of a female head coach in an American men’s professional sports is shiffting from an idea to a reality. With the rise of Becky Hammon, assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, the sports world is coming face to face with this change in culture. While Mike Francesa of WFAN in New York City, does not believe a female coach will ever crack the ranks, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believes otherwise.
Several weeks ago, sports talk show host Mike Francesa said on his show that, despite the rise of Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, there was “no shot” for a woman to rise to the title of head coach in his lifetime.
Reacting to those remarks and the subsequent discussions they spurred, NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued a definitive statement on the matter. Speaking publicly (via ESPN), the commissioner stated, “First of all, let me say that I disagree that there will not be a woman head coach in the NBA. It is hard to say exactly when (it will happen). There are three women currently in the pipeline … There definitely will (be a female head coach). And I think it is on me to sort of ensure that it happens sooner rather than later.”
The NBA has a reputation among American sports leagues as being forward-thinking on social issues. The similarities between the men’s and women’s leagues lead many to believe that the likelihood of a woman serving as head coach is more likely in basketball than in other sports.
That said, the three women Silver mentions—the Spurs’ assistant coach Becky Hammon, the Kings’ assistant coach Nancy Lieberman, and the Clippers’ assistant video coordinator Natalie Nakase—remain several steps away from head coaching contention.
Silver remains steadfast in his belief, continuing, “When it is not a function of how high you can jump or how strong you are, there is no physical litmus test to being a head coach in the league,” he said, “there is absolutely no reason why a woman will not ascend to be a head coach in this league. We are very focused in on it.”
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Steve
Steve is an affordable multifamily housing professional that is also the co-founder of Whiskey Congress. Steve has written for national publications such as The National Marijuana News and other outlets as a guest blogger on topics covering sports, politics, and cannabis. Steve loves whiskey, cigars, and uses powerlifting as an outlet to deal with the fact that no one listens to his brilliant ideas.
