BECKY HAMMON: Playing for Russia in Olympics

The American WNBA player stays true to her Olympic dream and decides to play for Russia in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Becky Hammon's decision to play for the Russian national team in the 2008 Olympics has stirred up all sorts of Cold War emotions in Americans, yet once U.S. coach Anne Donovan calls you a "traitor" for your decision, well, it's a Rocky IV mindset all over again.

For those who don't follow what goes on in the Women's National Basketball Association, Hammon is one of the most popular players in the league as a point guard for the San Antonio Silver Stars. Last year, Hammon was runner-up to the MVP award and played for a Russian club team in the off-season to hone her skills and make some serious coin. She received a dual-citizenship as a result and was eligible to play for the Russian national team. After she was snubbed from the 23-person roster for the '08 squad, Hammon still wanted to play for an Olympic team, and since Russia was offering her that chance, she took it

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Becky
• Hammon
• Olympic
• basketball
• WNBA
• USA
• RUSSIA
• Beijing
• 2008
• cska

[andthesunrises]

Becky Hammon is an excellent player. She had stats in WNBA to show for. She was denied entrance into the US Olympics team, but given a big raise and a chance to participate in the Olympics, to compete with the best in the world. As an athelete, it's only reasonable that she took it, especially when her own country has forsaken her

I don't understand why the US coach cries foul and goes as far as calling her a traitor. She loves basketball and she loves her country. I fully support her decision.

[isg84]

Meh... If I was her I would do the same thing; find a country that does VALUE the talent, rather than stick around, wait and not be on olympiad list in later years.

She does not want to waste her time with USA, and that is a wise choice.

[maximumSPEEDODESU]

SHES HOTT!!!! who wudnt wanna play in the olympics...americans u do realise olympics happen every 4 years rite? wud u wanna wait 4 years to find out if ur country wants u to play again? pfft screw the country id play for any country to be in the olympics..

[lilbeezy4utoo]

@kmml1972 your retard the US denied her.

[MichiVarela]

@plusEV Indeed, but –for what I heard– the coach wouldn't want her to play for the US? I might be wrong, though. I didn't mean it as if she had no skills.

[plusEV]

@kmml1972

why? both countries allow dual citizenship. Should athletes immigrating to the US be forced to give up their citizenship?

[plusEV]

@MichiVarela

No chance? She finished 2nd in WNBA MVP voting and wasn't even invited to try out.

[plusEV]

Ummmm so much fail here. The Olympics haven't been an amature event for quite some time Ace. It's also funny how nobody has a problem with people from other countries coming to the good old US of A and competing.

[kmml1972]

she is not a true american....she should have also given up her citizenship....

[MichiVarela]

Wikipedia: CSKA Moscow (Russian: ЦСКА Москва, in English: Central Sports Army Club Moscow [...] )

CSKA is one of the biggest European basketball teams, European champions in several occasions, both in male and female categories.

I find it perfectly understandable that she joined the Russian teams if her dream was to take part in the Olympics and she had no chance in the US team. Just my humble opinion!

[Mystery0Warrior]

hot babes of cska

[ZhekaListik]

Не Россия взяла к себе Бекки,а Бекки пришла к России!!!НО МЫ ЛЮБИМ ТЕБЯ,БЕККИ!!!!Россия любит тебя!!!))