Coach Becky Hammon always knows what to say in the Las Vegas Aces’ huddles. But recently she’s been at a loss for words when it comes to her upcoming speech for her induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame on Saturday in Springfield, Massachusetts.
“I’ve basically had writer’s block,” Hammon said, chuckling. “I do a lot of speeches in the offseason. I write long speeches even though I don’t want to hear myself talk that long. This is only going to be a five- or six-minute speech, but it’s been really hard to articulate what the game has meant to me.”
There are many connections Hammon has to other members of the 2023 class. She was an assistant from 2014 to 2022 to Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs, where she coached Tony Parker and coached against Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade. All five men will go into the Hall of Fame with her.
So will longtime women’s college coach Gary Blair, who finished his career in 2022 with the Texas A&M Aggies, whom he led to the 2011 NCAA title. During her Colorado State Rams playing…
