The San Antonio Spurs' 5 best quotes about Becky Hammon

Friday evening marked Becky Hammon's debut as the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces after eight years as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs. It was just another monumental moment in her career that already includes a retired jersey in the WNBA and being the first acting head coach in NBA history.

Hammon's new role as the highest-paid coach in WNBA history is a deserved, even if she's clearly been ready for an NBA head coach role for a few years now. That's a conversation for another day though, as she now has a five-year contract to fulfill.

Starting her time as an assistant under Gregg Popovich in 2014, Hammon quickly became a valuable asset to the coaching staff and was beloved by everyone who suited up for the Silver and Black along the way.

As Becky begins her new venture with a steady new head coach position, let's take a look back at some of the most memorable things people in the organization have said about her influence in San Antonio.

1. "She's one of the best coaches I've ever had." - Danny Green

The Spurs gave Danny Green his first real shot at being an important role player in the NBA, and it's safe to say it paid off for both sides. The New York native played a key role in their back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2013 and 2014 and even had a strong case for Finals MVP had the Spurs pulled off the win in the first year.

Throughout his basketball career, Green has played for heavily respected coaches like Nick Nurse, Mike Brown, Frank Vogel, and Roy Williams in addition to Gregg Popovich. In an interview with the Denver Post in 2020, the veteran guard said Becky was in the top five coaches he's ever played for.

“It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, this is... our female coach,’” Green said. “It was like, ‘Coach, or Coach Hammon or Becky’. "She’s got some good stuff. See Becky about this or talk to her about that.”

2. "She did it the right way. When she interjected, people listened." - Tim Duncan

It didn't take long for Tim Duncan to realize the whole assistant coaching thing wasn't for him. He lasted for all of one season, the 2019-20 season, before stepping down with one victory as acting head coach under his belt. Still, he had spent the last couple of years of his playing career with Hammon sitting on the bench as an assistant, and he saw firsthand just how important she was.

"She did it the right way," he said on the Road Trippin' Podcast. "She was great at her role. She knows basketball."

The compliments about Hammon's pure knowledge of coaching Xs and Os was a recurring theme from players throughout her time as an assistant coach, but it might mean a little more coming from one of the greatest players in NBA history.

"She knows her stuff," continued Duncan. "She did it the right way. She did what she was asked to do. When she interjected, people listened. People respected her."

3. "Her knowledge of the game is one-of-a-kind, and the person she is off the floor makes her even better." - DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan might not quite have had the on-court help he needed during his three-year stint with the Spurs, but he's spoken repeatedly about just how much he learned from both Coach Popovich and Coach Hammon in that time.

"She's not intimidated by nothing," said DeRozan in a 2020 interview with ESPN. "She'll get up in your face and tell you something, but she's the most positive individual when it comes to basketball. Her Xs and Os when it comes to drawing up plays -- she knows her stuff."

DeMar continued his praise of Hammon as a "player's coach", one he saw as a family member at times. He also emphasized her character off the court, which made her presence as a coach even better.

"Her knowledge of the game is one-of-a-kind," he said. "And the person she is off the floor makes her even better."

4. "She is setting an example for every woman out there." - Dejounte Murray

Dejounte Murray is yet another player that developed a close relationship with Becky Hammon, as she was on the bench when he got his start in 2016 and was around through his first six years in the league.

In late December of 2020, Hammon made history by becoming the first woman to act as head coach during an NBA regular-season game. Predictably, an ejection to Coach Popovich paved the way for the achievement, and several Spurs had plenty to say after the game.

"You've got to tip your hat to her," said Murray. "I pay attention to all those little things. She's been here since I got here. I've been watching her talk to every single player, whether he was a veteran dude or a young dude. Just using her voice and her knowledge of the game."

Murray went on to say the two developed a close bond off the court, with Hammon asking him about his kids and texting him on holidays often. During the women's college basketball tournament last year, Dejounte showed his respect for the Colorado State legend.

"Everyone here appreciates her," said Murray. "She is setting an example for every woman out there."

5. "Everyone can't do what Becky is doing. She is very special." - Gregg Popovich

Becky Hammon has made it clear that she's going to succeed in whatever she does. Shining at Colorado State and becoming one of the best players in WNBA history was just the beginning, as she also thrived on the sidelines for the Spurs for over eight years.

As she takes the next step in her remarkable career, it's only a matter of time before she takes the Las Vegas Aces to new heights. A man who knows a thing or two about succeeding, Gregg Popovich, has had plenty to say about his longtime right-hand coach.

"She knows her stuff," he said in 2018. "She's confident. The he-she thing doesn't fit at all. She's a coach, and just happens to be a she. That's it. If it was a he, and more qualified, I would have hired a he. But this she was qualified, and that's who I wanted."

While the wishes of many Spurs fans of Hammon becoming the next head coach didn't come true, that doesn't take away from how much she meant to Pop and the organization.

"She's a special, special woman," Popovich said. "Everyone can't do what Becky is doing. She is very special."