I recently blogged about the exciting news of Kim Ng becoming MLB’s first female general manager. I am happy to report another historical milestone for women. On December 30th, Becky Hammon became the first woman to act as head coach during an NBA regular-season game. Hammon, an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, filled in for the head coach, Gregg Popovich, after he was ejected from a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Laker superstar LeBron James said after the game, “Obviously she’s been paying her dues over the last few years and Coach Pop has given her the opportunity. … It’s a beautiful thing just to hear her barking out calls, barking out sets. She’s very passionate about the game. Congrats to her and congrats for our league.” It is awesome that Lebron, arguably the best-known athlete on the planet, spoke so well of this historic achievement.
Unfortunately, there still are too many women who do not get a warranted promotion or job purely based upon their gender. This is illegal. Employers cannot discriminate or take adverse action against women employees because they are women. Further, employers must compensate women the same as their male counterparts.
As a huge basketball fan and employment lawyer, I applaud this historical milestone for women. So kudos to Coach Popovich, Coach Hammon and the San Antonio Spurs organization. For female employees who do not get same respect from their employers, you may have legal options to fix any wrongdoings. Call us if you feel that have received unfair treatment because of your gender.
