Becky Hammon says that Gregg Popovich changed her life forever when he made her the NBA’s first female assistant coach

Twenty-seven years have past since Gregg Popvoch first started coaching the San Antonio team, conquering five NBA titles and one Olympic gold medal in the process, becoming a three-time Coach of the Year, and leading the record of 1,366 wins as a coach in the league. 

Now, he can finally say with pride that he’s made it to the Naismith Hall of Fame next to his most prolific students Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

“His ability to connect, spend time and bounce between the really detailed development of basketball players and the bigger picture of developing people is just so impressive,” said San Antonio manager Peter J. Holt before the show. “I think no matter what Pop does, he’s going to find a way to do that because that’s in his heart.”

Popovich was in for quite the emotional night, especially considering that both Parker and his former Spurs assistant Becky Hammon were also being included, and many of his former players like David Robinson were standing as presenters for his award.

Once on the podium, he couldn’t help but pour his heart out. “I tried to think of a word that would describe the feeling of being here,” he started out. “And it feels even different than I thought it would. For me, it’s unimaginable, and it’s not an attempt to be humble, it’s unimaginable.”

The 74-year-old’s career, which also includes a record-tying 22 consecutive postseason participations, has recently been honored with a new five-year contract extension worth $80 million in Texas. In this time, he expects to keep molding young talents, including French sensation Victor Wembanyama.

“I look around and see all my colleagues … and it’s a pretty crazy feeling to be included. I’m looking at all these faces who are legends. I’m not speechless,” the crowd then laughed. “I find it hard to express what’s going on in my chest right now.”

Becky Hammon had an emotional moment thanking Popovoch for all his guidance during her coaching career

Ever since he started coaching in 1996, Popovich has planted a very wide coaching tree with branches that extend to other great’s careers like Michael Malone, Ime Udoka, Steve Kerr, Monty Williams, Mike Budenholzer and more.

One of the most sentimental was Becky Hammon, who years ago became the first woman to ever become an official coaching assistant in the NBA under Pop. As she was also inducted in the Hall of Fame this weekend, she couldn’t help but show her appreciation for the legendary trainer.

Take a look at what she said on the podium, thanking Popovich for changing her life for good:

"I know you weren't trying to be courageous when you hired me, but you did do something nobody else in professional sports has ever done."

Becky Hammon got emotional thanking Gregg Popovich in her Hall of Fame speech 🖤pic.twitter.com/QEoRyclll5

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 13, 2023

Before the ceremony, other important trainers like Steve Kerr, said that it was just a matter of time for the league to honor such a devoted coach like him.

“There are so many people out there like me, whose lives have been impacted so dramatically and so positively by Pop,” he said. “You can take all the accomplishments, the championships, the wins and everything else, and it’s all meaningful. But it doesn’t come close to the meaning of his relationships that he’s built around the league and what he’s meant to so many of us.

“So, he’s one of the most influential people ever in my life and I owe him so much. He’s a Hall of Famer and I’m thrilled for him. It’s a no-brainer. He was a Hall of Famer a long time ago.”