Project 25, Post No. 14: Love and basketball  

My first memory is of my father throwing me up into the air because Nick Van Exel made a 3-point play for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Nick, getting all choked up about my nostalgia.

So yep, basketball holds a dear place in my heart.

And today’s news of the first female coaching staffer in the NBA, Becky Hammon, a newly minted San Antonio Spur, (reported by Grantland) warms my heart immensely.

Though she’s technically the second, it’s encouraging news because the Spurs are fresh off a championship win. And when you watch this little PR video from earlier this year – it’s clear that the rest of the organization respects and admires her.

She’s not the only gal in the NBA, though - let’s not forget about the L.A. Clippers’ Natalie Nakase or the L.A. Lakers’ Jeanie Buss (a personal role model of mine, because she’s a total BAMF).

Some may ask, “Is basketball becoming a women’s game?” But that’s not the right question.

To quote Bloomberg:

As Hammon put it, physical differences will likely always separate men and women on the court, “but when it comes to things of the mind, things like coaching, game-planning, coming up with offensive and defensive schemes, there’s no reason why a woman couldn’t be in the mix.” As women continue to break down barriers in business, politics, and culture, the Spurs have signaled that a basketball team with much at stake has something to gain from a woman on the bench.

The average NBA franchise costs $634 million, according to Forbes. Though the NFL still outpaces the NBA (the average team is $1.7 billion) - that will change soon, and very soon.

Here’s the real question now: do you know who loves basketball?

It’s not just American girls who grew up cheering for Kobe Bryant, like yours truly, but China, which has a population of 1.35 billion people and is eager to even take a crumbling Allen Iverson off our bench.

Three cheers for you, Becky. Ball hard.

Love basketball? Give a little love to clean water in its name here.