After this weekend, the NBA’s first woman head coach will officially be an Hall-of-Famer. The basketball coach had a flourishing career as a WNBA player which connected her to many other talented athletes. Unsurprisingly her former teammates had a lot to say about her induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. Someone who played alongside her had an especially revealing insight into ‘Big Shot Becky.’

The 46-year-old had a lauded college career followed by a low-key start professional start. She would go on to become a WNBA All-Star and a championship-winning coach. Rebecca Lobo, her teammate from their New York Liberty Days, spoke about her unassuming start.

Rebecca Lobo on Big Shot Becky’s humble beginnings

A three-time All-American from Colorado State, Becky Hammon went undrafted in the 1999 WNBA draft. She went on to sign with New York Liberty and have a spectacular rookie season. Before she retired in 2014, she was a six-time WNBA All-Star. She switched to coaching both in the WNBA and the NBA. Hammon would make history as the first woman to be an acting head coach in the NBA when she took over for Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.

Now both Popovich and Hammon are part of the 2023 class which will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame this weekend.  Hammon is getting celebrated everywhere. Even her former teammates can’t resist gushing about her. One of them is Rebecca Lobo.

Lobo was on SiriusXM NBA Radio and revealed her first impression of Becky Hammon.

Lobo had started her career in 1997 and was two seasons in when undrafted rookie, Hammon entered.

“When she comes into training camp, she’s not all that impressive of a physical specimen,” Lobo said after admitting she had not followed Hammon’s college career. “She’s five-foot-nothing. And I didn’t know if she was going to make the team. Undrafted free agents don’t typically.” 

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The rookie was also facing stiff competition from seasoned pros of the American Basketball League. The ABL had disbanded in 1999 and there was an exodus of several athletes to the WNBA. “And I didn’t have any expectation that she [Hammon] would make the team.” 

Becky Hammon Exceeded Lobo’s Expectations

Hammon not only made the team, but she was also backing up starting point guard Teresa Weatherspoon. She recorded outstanding stats in her rookie year and became a fan favorite. She soon rose to the starting PG position and had a stint as Liberty’s co-captain.

When the upstart made the team, “it was a little bit of a surprise” for Lobo. The more time they spent as teammates, the more Rebecca made note of her talent.

She said that the season she was injured and would come to training camp and practices, Hammon left her in awe. “There’s just something about her.”

Lobo went on to add, “Every day she came to prove herself, every day she did. It was really gratifying to watch her through the course of her career, and how she became an All-Star and a superstar.”

This announcement came at a time when fans are speculating about her return as an NBA coach.

Even Lobo believes she’s deserving of all the honors. So we know who will be cheering for Becky Hammon the loudest at her Hall of Fame ceremony.

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