By Teddy Brenner
It took an ejection, but Becky Hammon made history last night as the first woman to act as head coach during an NBA regular-season game.
The San Antonio assistant coach filled in for head coach Gregg Popovich after he was ejected in the first half of the Spurs’ 121-107 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.
“Obviously, it’s a big deal,” Hammon said after the game. “It’s a substantial moment. I’ve been a part of this organization, I got traded here in 2007, so I’ve been in San Antonio and part of the Spurs and sports organization with the Stars and everything for 13 years. So I have a lot of time invested, and they have a lot of time invested in me, in building me and getting me better.”
Popovich received a technical foul and was run from the game with 3:56 remaining in the second quarter for arguing with a referee over a no-call as his team trailed the Lakers 52-41.
