WORLD NEWS – CAF – NBA coach Becky Hammon says it’s ‘surreal’ to have her own mural in San Antonio

The first NBA Coach’s assistant opens up to people about her pioneering career and carrying the « torch » to other women in America.

Becky Hammon is a force to be reckoned with, a force that will never stop pursuing her dreams

The San Antonio Spurs assistant coach – who made history as the first full-time paid assistant on the NBA coaching staff – was recently honored with a mural in San Antonio, Texas, in honor of her pioneering career and accomplishments.

Speaking to PEOPLE about the artwork, Hamon said it was « surreal » to share her story through a mural, which is also the centerpiece of a new short film produced by 60 Second Docs (in partnership with Cadillac for the Cadillac Never Stop Campaign).

“When I first saw it, I was a little emotional, just because it was a complete surprise,” said the Tottenham manager.. “I had no idea what the mural would be like. I had no input into that.

“So, when I’m driving, I clearly saw the phrase“ don’t stop ”on my face first. Then, whenever I got close, and saw the little girl, it made me. I have taken over it, « Hamon adds.

shows fresco by Sebastian Puelo Hammon over the San Antonio skyline. Above her, « Never Stop » pays tribute to her relentless fight to become the first coach in the NBA..

Below it is a little girl in a retired Hamoun shirt. 25 shirts from her time with WNBA’s San Antonio Stars.

“I thought they just took over my story . . . It’s like, how do you portray the journey of a lifetime in one mural? But with that little girl, they got it all, « Hamon says.

This drawn character is Hammon, looking at all that she’s accomplished, as well as all the little girls around the world, looking to Hamon as a role model.

“She’s a torch that I take very seriously,” telling people that she’s one of the women who broke the glass ceiling in professional sports training. “It is something that I appreciate and I know the extent of the responsibility . . . But I also can’t focus all of my resources on that, because I need to focus and get all of my resources in an effort to be the best I can be to ensure they get that opportunity..

“I know I have a lot of little eyes on me. I never underestimate her. That is why the mountains and the challenges before me are much greater than that. « . « But I am willing to put up with these things and am ready to keep climbing and keep [the flame] burning and keep moving forward.

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“I had to take a learning approach, first and foremost, to listen. I think there are a lot of things that hate women that I have to deal with daily.  ». “And I think some of them are very subtle, and I don’t even think people are aware of them. They are not even aware of it in their minds.

« I honestly think you should have a great deal of compassion because I think the intention matters, » she adds.

Hamon explains that she learned to allow her male counterparts to « navigate » in this new era for women to enter their field and have conversations..

« It’s new for them, too, to have a woman in their presence and to have a woman in the mix, » she says. “I think having a lot of grace during these conversations, during these various interactions, has allowed me to build a good base and people can understand that they can be themselves.. Because at the end of the day, I want to be myself.

In 2017, Hammon became the first woman to be interviewed for a coaching position in the NBA (with the Milwaukee Bucks). It was recently considered to replace Billy Donovan with the Oklahoma City Thunder, however, the position was held by Mark Dennyult on Wednesday..

Reflecting on her goal of becoming a head coach for NBA, Hamon told people the world is not ready yet..

“I don’t know if we have leaked into the faith of the heart. I think you can read something on a piece of paper and you can have some kind of conceptual understanding of what they’re saying, but until you believe it in your heart, so that it sinks into your being, in your soul, not many people are also willing to work on this. « .

“So we have to get to the point where there is a belief, deep in your soul, in your gut, in your heart, that a woman is just as capable of driving as a man,” she says.. “This is a conversation that is just beginning to surface. So, we’re not there yet, but the vision is the first part to finally believe.

“There have been moments throughout my life when I feel like the doors are closed in my face. And then, there are moments in my life where I walk through these doors and press myself. « I think there are more hurdles that we have to jump over in order to open this door [the NBA coach]. ».

Becky Hammon, San Antonio Spurs, Head Coach, WNBA, Intermediate, NBA