О, пришло только что на почту от SSN письменный вариант интервью Здорово. Интересно, всегда ли можно теперь ожидать такую услугу?!
Большое)) Chris: 5 Time All-Star Becky Hammon! Welcome back to the Zone, Becky
congratulations on making the All-Star team once again.
Becky: [laughs] Thank you
Chris: How cool is that for you? Its one thing to be an All-Star, but
you earn this trip, but you earned this trip with the 2nd most fan votes
in the WNBA.
Becky: Yeah I know, it's really cool. I think I have uhh... I've
talked about my fans before and I think I have the most dedicated and
loyal
fans out there in any kind of sport, let alone womens basketball. Umm
so, I know they were pulling for me and it's just a big honor that
people want to see you out there playing and the All-Star Game is
really something for the fans so hopefully you know we can put on a good
show and have a lot of fun.
Chris: It is something that is for the fans and I know that you
certainly understand and appreciate that and you go out there. We just
had
the baseball all-star game and even the NBA all-star game, seems to
lose some of its luster because the big stars dont want to participate
in all of the events like in the slam dunk contest, or the homerun
derby in baseball, they declined to go. Which as a fan, youre and
all-star,
thats who you wanna see. Im glad to hear you that it is for the fans
we want to put on a good show.
Becky: Well it's certainly true, I think that is something that, not
only myself, but the WNBA takes very seriously, is our fan outreach
program and the interaction that we have with our fans so.... it's
going to be in Connecticut, theres a casino right there, so hopefully
it will
just be an all around fun weekend. I mean, I know that girls would
probably much rather get some rest and take a weekend off, nice little
break during the season, but I think in this instance you have to try
to see the bigger picture and go and make the most of it and have a
good time and really just build up on our fan base.
Chris: What is all-star weekend like for Becky Hammon?
Becky: It's busy! [laughs] The WNBA gets things hopping pretty quickly
you know, they got things from interaction with little kids, little
clinics, to things for adults. Sort of like a Jam Session as well, so
it's a whirlwind for us. Its hectic, its a hectic schedule, most of
the time
they have us up running around from 9 in the morning til 11 at night.
Its the same things when I go to NBA All-Star, its a very busy schedule
that they keep you on from one thing to the next. Like I said, its not
rest and relaxation time for the athletes, but its how we say thank you
back to the fans
Jason: You mention the schedule and you have been to a number of NBA
All-Star games as well and have participated in various events..
Ive never been to a WNBA All-Star Game, but I have been to the NBA
All-Star game a couple of different times and the parties are
legendary. Is it about the same for the WNBA?
Becky: [laughs] Theres a few parties going on, but not like the NBA.
Ive been to some of those parties and it's not comparable.[laughs]
Just as there arent many things that are comparable when you compare
WNBA to NBA, the parties arent comparable. But Im not much on
that scene anyway, I have been to a few parties, but I think Ive said
this before, Id rather chill out with family and friends and keep a
pretty low profile.
Chris: Absolutely! Becky Hammon from SASS joining us on 1250 the Zone.
Becky as youve mentioned, not necessarily into the party scene,
the NBA all-star game is quite a bit different. I did have someone
email in and Im trying to look for the email to give him credit for
it, I cant
find it now, but they want to know why it seems all the WNBA All-Star
Games are on the east coast? oh come one has never been close to
San Antonio.
Becky: Well I think it comes back down to one big thing and thats
money. It cost money to put on events like this for the host team. So I
know that is something that the WNBA really looks at and considers. A
lot of times teams put in for it. The only time it has been on the west
coast Im aware of was in phoenix one year. And that was, gosh, maybe
2001 or 2002, Im not quite sure when that was. But Im not aware
of anywhere else on the west. Its always been in NY, DC, Orlando when
they had a team, Connecticut has had it before, so I dont know
what their process is in picking the city, but that fan is definitely
right, it is mostly on the east coast.
ESPN: Well from what you said, the fans in Connecticut, NY, DC, for
the fans in that area it makes it very easy for those fans to travel to
the all-star game its self
Becky: Oh yeah, Im sure it comes down to money and what makes sense to
the league and what makes sense to that team. Um Mohegan
Sun, one of the main sponsor there for Connecticut, I mean, what a
great way to fill up your hotel. You host an event like that and people
are going to fly in. I know they put on lots of concerts and things
like that. But youre getting alot of locals and some people coming in.
My
parents grew up in Connecticut, so I will have a load of family there.
Ive been going to Connecticut since I was a little kid, so Im pretty
familiar with Mohegan Sun and the area. It should be a good time. So,
I dont know, I guess you have to ask the teams on the West coast
whats going on.
ESPN: Yeah I guess that wasnt really a fair question for you I
suppose. When you are running this league down the road, maybe you can
bring you can bring an all-star game down here. How cool is it for you
to go to the All-Star Game this year knowing that Dan Hughes is going
to be the head coach, and I got to imagine that some of your silver
stars teammates will make the trip to Connecticut with you
Becky: Well Sophia isnt on the team, obviously thats ridiculous. She
definitely deserves to be there, not because she is my teammate but
because of the way she plays and the type of player she is. She
deserves it. Whether she is on my team or on another team. She deserves
to be there, so, hopefully the coaches will put her on there and honor
her efforts on the court. And coach Hughes going out there, it should
be a really great time obviously. There is a comfort level and trust
there with us. So it should be a fun weekend. I think all the girls
really
appreciate our coaching staff and their personalities, the way they
act with people and um I think they will be a little bit jealous
because of
how cool our coaching staff is. Im not bias at all (laughs) we got a
pretty cool coaching staff.
ESPN: I think a lot of people may have learned a lot about Dan Hughes
the other night on News 4 on Sports Sunday they went to his house
and went through his music collection and he is so obsessed with
music, thats his hobby. But it was cool to see that side of Dan Hughes
and
I think alot of people can relate to music and how he incorporates
that into coaching this basketball team.
Becky: Its funny because Coach is one of my favorite guys I know and
my dad when I was growing up never really listened to music. And I
love music, it was never really on in the car, my dad never would have
a walkman or anything like that. And Coach Hughes, he's always got
an iPod, he's always listening to music, he's the only guy I know that
still has fuzzy dice on his mirror. And you cant mess with that. You
cant mess with Coach Hughes. He's got fuzzy dice in the mirror and
rocks like a superstar, so, yeah, he is a rock n roller at heart, he
was in
Cleveland for awhile, what better place to be than you know, than
Cleveland, if you are a rock n roller. And his wife, Miss Mary, Ive
heard
her play the piano and she is phenomenal. I took piano lessons when I
was younger and I quit, I think I was in gymnastics then, and I really
wish I would have stuck with the piano. Ya know, I have a little bit
of gift in there, but have never really had the time, ive always been in
sports all the time, to really try to work on that talent. Down the
road Im going to have Miss Mary give me a few lessons hopefully.
ESPN: Knowing you, you will pick it up and you will dominate if you
put your mind to it. We have seen you rock out to Rock Band on TV as
the lead singer and not long ago you said you were looking for a
karaoke machine. Music seems like a big part of what this whole team is
about.
Becky: Yeah, I mean I think my generation of, young people love music.
They always got head phones on, they got ipods, their iphones or
whatever, always listening to music. Its mostly athletes I think a
lot. You always see athletes trying to crossover to be entertainers and
entertainers always trying to be athletes. Its like athletes think I
wish I was a singer, and singers are like man i wish i could play
basketball
like that. So I guess they think the grass is always greener on the
other side. In actuality, Im glad that I went the path that I actually
went
in sports.
ESPN: What is on your iPod?
Becky: I really have a mix of everything. Anywhere from country to hip
hop, to contemporary, I have 80's, Christian, gospel, alternative, of
course Michael Jackson has been playing a lot lately. Really I think
you could look through my iPod and see every kind of music possible.
Except for really really heavy metal I dont like and .........
ESPN: No Metallica?
BEcky: YEs I have some Metallica, theyre not real heavy to me. But not
really heavy heavy rap. And Im not much of a jazz fan. So those
are probably the genres that arent in my ipod
ESPN: I can see all of that except for the country music, I never
thought of you as a country music fan.
BEcky: I grew up in south dakota come on!
ESPN: You guys got a huge win on the road yesterday, you had a big
game, 21 points as you beat the mystics, are you starting to feel like
things are coming together?
BEcky: Well I feel like our last 4 or 5 games we've done some good
things and made some steps. And I think its not anything that every
other team isnt dealing with. I think Indiana and maybe Phoenix are on
a run, but other than that, every team, its a dog fight every night.
There is never a night off, you play bad then you are going to lose,
thats just the way it goes in this league. You got to come out and play
well basically every night in order to put yourself in a position to
win. Were glad to be back at home. Our schedule is kind of hectic,
were in
and out, in and out with games here and away. But we got to take care
of the home court. And weve won two in a row on the road and I
think thats a good starting point for us. ANd just build on that.
ESPN: You got a game friday against the Sun and you got an early game
next week. IS that odd?
Becky: It is a little bit, but the good thing is thats the time we are
usually in practice, so your body is pretty well adjusted. Now, the
other
day when we played Washington. it was also an afternoon game and it
started at like 11:30 or so. Back that up and that puts us up pretty
early in the morning San Antonio time. When we played Seattle we had
an extra hour to sleep so it kind of just depends on where you are
on the map. For us being at home, our bodies are pretty much well
adjusted to playing at that time of the day.
ESPN: Golf tournaments are always alot of fun, do you get out there and play?
Becky: I wish I had more time to play golf. I do play when I can, I
dont think Ive golf in probably a year and a half. I dont have my clubs
down here for one reason. But I do like to play golf, I would like to
play a little bit more, but its tough here in San Antonio, with the
heat and
most days you want to stay a little bit out of the heat. Sometimes
golf takes a long time, I just dont have the time. But it should be a
fun
event. Im anxious to get out there and actually swing the club a
little bit. Of course not on anybody's turn but .....
ESPN: Well I know the whole team will be out there and mingling with
the people who are not golfing. During the Spurs golf scramble, they
did it in the morning. But Bonner and Hill, there are condos that sit
right down one of the fairways and Bonner put one right on somebody's
patio and Hill hit somebody's roof.
Becky: Oh no no, Im not trying to (laughs) Im trying to keep it on the
fairway for sure.
ESPN: So you are better than those guys, if you hit the ball then you
can turn around and say Hey I did better than Hill and Bonner
Becky: I hope so
ESPN: Good luck this week against the Sun, have fun and good luck at
the All-Star Game
Becky: Alright thanks, I appreciate it. And let me just give a little
shout out, a happy belated birthday to Linda, who runs my website. So
happy birthday Linda and good job on the website.
ESPN: She does a phenomenal job! You want to plug the website?
Becky: Its BeckyHammon25.com
ESPN: Before I let you go I got to admit something, I have been
debating on whether I was going to say this to you. Youve always been
blonde, and youre not anymore, I kinda miss that blonde ponytail going
up and down the court.
Becky: (Laughs) You know people keep coming up to me and asking me if
the blonde is coming back. Not any time soon. I have a couple
more years left on my contract in Russia and for me it is just easier
because....... it gets highlights and it grows out and I hate when it
grows out and my roots are showing... And I do not want anyone in
Russia doing my hair. (laughs) So it is just easier for me to keep it
dark
like this and then i dont have to worry about highlighting it and so
Im going to keep the natural look for a little bit. Im not saying that
I will
never go back to blonde, but right now I am going to keep it.
ESPN: I dig the natural look but I was missing that blonde ponytail
during the game.
(laughs)
Becky: Well Im glad that I am not superstitious for sure
ESPN: Becky thank you for taking the time
BEcky: Thank you, talk to you soon.