Out of all the assistant coaches in the National Basketball Association, Nancy Lieberman officially stands in a separate category beside only San Antonio’s Becky Hammon as one of two coaches in the League that is a woman. Separated not primarily because of the fact that she is not a man. Based on facts and her resume alone Lieberman is a great hire for any team. 
Per Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports, Lieberman was going through basketball drills with her son when news had spread that Kings VP of basketball operations Vlade Divac offered Lieberman a position on Head Coach George Karl’s staff.
Since practically her youth Lieberman has lived her life around the game of basketball. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 for her career at Old Dominion. Dubbed by the media as “Lady Magic”, she compiled a 72-2 record for the Lady Monarchs during their back to back championships and averaged 18.1 points, 8.7 assists, and 3.8 steals per game in her 134 career games. She coached in both the WNBA and in the NBA’s D-League for the Texas Legends in 2010-1.
Lieberman assisted as a Coach for the Kings during the Summer League in July, where she had a hint that a job on the staff might be available.
“After that (Summer League) I knew there was a possibility that they were interested, and it all came to a decision Thursday by Vlade when they offered me the job.” Lieberman told USA Today.
The signing of Lieberman comes a few short days after the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League hired the first Female coach in the NFL. It can certainly be stated that girl power is coming in hot into Pro Sports.
I’d be naive to believe that every male sports fan is giddy with the idea of a Nancy Lieberman, Becky Hammon, or any other woman coming into the NBA.
For every person that sees this as another step for females to assume jobs into male athletics, there is a chauvinistic pig at the bar whose athletic career peaked in his Sophomore year of High School claiming how it is things like this that are destroying our sports, our country, and way of life (aka some of the same people who tweet me). “Women are going to be coaching!? In the NBA!? Our world as we know it is coming to an end!”
To that person I strongly pity because they fail to see the value in showing young women worldwide that being a woman does not make you any less qualified or considered for a job in a profession or League that has been male dominated since Maurice Podoloff was Commissioner back in the 1950’s. We live in a world where the Kim Kardashians set examples to girls for all the wrong reasons.
If the Association can hire a woman like Nancy Lieberman, who has set an example her entire career for all the right reasons, on the sidelines? I have no problem with that. We still will have 82 regular season games and a team will still hold the Larry O’ Brien Trophy in June with women in our League. Nothing changes, except for progress in the right direction.
After you Mrs. Lieberman.
Keith Jouganatos is a 21 year old College student/writer for RSEN who resides in Sacramento, CA and can be reached on Twitter @KeithJouganatos . In his free time he works out, studies, goes to In-N-Out, thinks Illmatic is still the best Hip-Hop album ever, and fully believes Dez caught the ball.
