Becky Hammon comments on possible NBA return in wake of Gregg Popovich news

Becky Hammon was once viewed as the probable successor to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, but she is happy with where her path has taken her instead.

The big news broke on Friday that the longtime San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has officially decided to retire and will be moving into the team’s front office instead. Popovich, who had coached the Spurs since 1996, suffered a stroke last November that he continues to recovery from.

In the wake of the news, Hammon (currently the head coach of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces) was asked about the potential of an NBA return. Hammon replied that she was happy with her current job but notably declined to rule out a return to the NBA at some point in the future.

“I’m super happy where I am,” Hammon said, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. “This opportunity for me, I couldn’t pass on it … I bet on myself instead of maybe waiting it out for a maybe [in the NBA]. I’ve enjoyed being back on the women’s side. You guys know I’m effusive about my love for this team and being back in the women’s game.

“If I were to ever make that jump [to the NBA] again, you know it just has to be the right fit, right time, in front of the right people, with the right team,” continued Hammon.

The former WNBA All-Star Hammon, 48, previously served on Popovich’s NBA staff in San Antonio from 2014-21. She would often be the acting head coach for the Spurs when Popovich was unavailable, making her the first-ever female to do so in the NBA. As such, Hammon was at one point expected to succeed Popovich whenever he decided to step down.

Nevertheless, Hammon (whom some in San Antonio reportedly were not sold on) decided to become the Aces head coach in 2021. It has been a very successful tenure for Hammon, who won back-to-back WNBA titles to begin her coaching stint and holds a sublime career record of 87-29 (.750) as she enters her fourth season.

Hammon would not have been the successor to Popovich anyway since the team has already made a quick choice on that front. But it does seem very possible that Hammon could return to the NBA at some point down the line, especially since she was once even a finalist for a different NBA head-coaching job.