Hammon Reflects on Blazers’ Coaching Search

Following the dismissal of long-time coach Terry Stotts, the Trail Blazers hired first-time head coach Chauncey Billups. Prior to that final decision, Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon was one of a handful of candidates that received multiple interviews in the Blazers’ process. Over the weekend, Becky Hammon spoke with CNBC’s Jabari Young about her part in Portland’s coaching search.

Hammon explained that she is focused on moving forward and has put the Blazers’ vacancy behind her.

“I’m not mad,” Hammon said. “This is the business, and it’s a very competitive business. But, at the end of the day, throw everything out the window — if you want to hire me, you’ll find a reason to hire me. And if you don’t want to hire me, you’ll find that reason, too. And that’s just that.”

In the story, Young recapped that it was well-known in NBA circles that Billups was President of Basketballl Operations Neil Olshey’s top choice. Hammon, without mentioning Billups by name, also touched on those assumptions.

When discussing the process, Hammon said, “I knew I was second; I knew who they wanted. And I’m OK with that, because every race I’ve gotten into my entire life, I’ve been behind, and I’m OK with that. And that’s just how it is — but at the same time, I’m not ignorant to what I’m going up against.”

Hammon did tell Young that she thought that the Blazers’ process was authentic. In one response, it appeared that Hammon addressed the comments that surfaced in a report from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer. In that story, a source told Fischer that the Blazers received mixed intel from the Spurs when they reached out for information on Hammon’s role.

Asked if she felt the rumors impacted discussions in Portland, Hammon said she didn’t read the tabloids, and she didn’t comment further on the matter.

She did add: “I take each experience, and I try to grow from it, and learn from it, and get better for the next time. If people need to justify a reason to why they did or didn’t hire me, it’s a little out of my realm of control. I just try to do the best I can in the moment I’m given.”

You can read the full story from Young at CNBC.