Gregg Popovich: Becky Hammon hire not a gimmick, but rather ‘a step in the right direction’ (Ball Don’t Lie)

When the San Antonio Spurs brought Becky Hammon on as an assistant coach last summer, head coach Gregg Popovich didn't get too caught up in the historic nature of the hire. That Hammon was a woman, and would be the first woman hired as a full-time assistant coach in the history of major men's American sports , was secondary; to hear the legendary bench boss tell it, Hammon was first and foremost a savvy instructor whose "basketball IQ, work ethic and interpersonal skills" he admired, a whip-smart veteran whose understanding of the game and how to teach it would prove an asset to the Spurs' ongoing attempt to build and maintain championship-contending teams. [ Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball] A six-time WNBA All-Star and four-time All-WNBA selection and one of the most decorated point guards in the history of the women's game, Hammon essentially interned with the Spurs' coaching staff during the 2013-14 NBA season while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. ("She's been perfect," Pop said of her .) Hammon repaid the faith that Pop and general manager R.C. Buford showed in her this month, leading the Spurs' Las...