Becky Hammon

I just think there's a real art in listening. I need to listen.

— Becky Hammon

If you don't want a female coach, don't hire one!

— Becky Hammon

Playing basketball for me is like breathing.

— Becky Hammon

If I went to play for Lithuania or Latvia, no one would have talked about it.

— Becky Hammon

I was living my dream as a WNBA player.

— Becky Hammon

But I think in the midst of working, you can't get too crazy serious.

— Becky Hammon

Let's just face it: The average girl is not 6-3. I look very average.

— Becky Hammon

My whole childhood I grew up wanting to be a professional basketball player.

— Becky Hammon

I know who I am. When you get comfortable with yourself like that and you know you're doing the right thing, you…

— Becky Hammon

Your mind is just constantly moving, thinking of different scenarios, not only on your team but their team too, trying to figure…

— Becky Hammon

I'm up for challenges. I'm up for being outside the box, making tough decisions and challenges... And I'm a little bit of…

— Becky Hammon

Hope and encouragement, especially hope, is probably one of the greatest things you can give another person.

— Becky Hammon

Nothing in my life has really ever been easy. I've always been someone who did it uphill.

— Becky Hammon

I... scout, I'm in all the film sessions, I'm in all the coaches meetings, I travel... I'm in on everything.

— Becky Hammon

But, at the end of the day, you live in the world with billions of people, and everyone has a unique upbringing…

— Becky Hammon

For me, I think it's such a notable point to make that a leader had to believe, a leader had to see…

— Becky Hammon

But it's been a learning experience; learning the NBA, learning the travel schedule and certain coaches, their styles, what they like to…

— Becky Hammon

It's not that I set out to say, 'I'm going be the first assistant coach in the NBA.' That really - it…

— Becky Hammon

But when it comes to things of the mind, things like coaching, game-planning, coming up with offensive and defensive schemes, there's no…

— Becky Hammon

The last reason I want to be hired is because of my gender. I want to be hired because you trust me,…

— Becky Hammon

People ask me all the time, will there ever be a woman player in the NBA? To be honest, no. There are…

— Becky Hammon

I think it's kind of silly, actually... I've been coached by men the majority of my career. It hasn't ever been an…

— Becky Hammon

And a pick and roll in the women's game is a pick and roll on the men's game... I mean, character, working…

— Becky Hammon

I was always with my dad and my brother. I know that if you can't keep up, you get left behind. So…

— Becky Hammon

I had a fantastic career. I loved being a professional athlete.

— Becky Hammon

I feel like I've had 20 years of experience at a very high level, if you throw in college, playing overseas, I've…

— Becky Hammon

If you could play in the Olympics or sit on your couch and watch at home, what would you do? It was…

— Becky Hammon

It's 2015, and I'm the first female coach in any of the major sports. That's ridiculous!

— Becky Hammon

You're getting to know these guys as people, and as players. You have to develop a rapport. They give me a lot…

— Becky Hammon

You shouldn't get into coaching unless you care about the people you're leading.

— Becky Hammon

It's one thing to watch the NBA, but when you have to be there for every film session, every practice, it's a…

— Becky Hammon

The greatest thing about sports, to me, is just the crossover into everyday life.

— Becky Hammon

It's just really awesome to be rewarded for all your hard work; that people take notice of how I treated my teammates,…

— Becky Hammon

I grew up in the woods; we were either on three-wheelers or four-wheelers or we were playing basketball.

— Becky Hammon

You have those people speaking really good things in your life and it grows and produces fruit later on. But somebody had…

— Becky Hammon

I can't open doors that aren't open. But if a door opens, I would be happy to walk through.

— Becky Hammon

I was always smaller and slower than everybody else, so I had to figure out other ways to be successful. Some people…

— Becky Hammon

But really, I've worked my whole life to become a great basketball player. When I see that jersey go up, I'm sure…

— Becky Hammon