Becky Hammon, who plays for the WNBA’s San Antonio Silver Stars, has stirred up controversy with her announcement that she’ll play in the Olympics for Russia. Born and raised in the U.S., she also plays professional basketball in Russia and became a Russian citizen to help her basketball career.
Now the U.S. women’s basketball coach, Anne Donovan, has called Hammon a “traitor.” It’s the same Anne Donovan who did not put Hammon on her ’short list’ of 23 players whom she’s considering for the team (despite Hammon being last season’s MVP runner-up). Hammon said she’d do anything to be on the U.S. team; but since they don’t want her, she is pursuing option No. 2.
Is she a traitor for playing for another country - and the one that was America’s fiercest Olympic rival just 20 years ago? Or is she justified in finding this other opportunity? -Cyd Zeigler jr.
(Picture from Hammon’s official Web site)
on Jun 16th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
A traitor? Absurd. There is a long tradition of Olympics athletes living in one country who are also citizens of another. The NY Times had a long piece Sunday on athletes who now compete for the U.S.:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/sports/olympics/15citizen.html
on Jun 16th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Hmmm. And is John Amaechi a “traitor” to England for coming to the U.S. and playing for the NBA?
Donovan should be fired for this. In my opinion, people with ridiculous and inflammatory political positionings like hers should not be put in key positions that involve sports with other countries.
on Jun 16th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I am not calling her a traitor by any means. However, she was only given Russian citizenship to be their point guard. That is just doesn’t pass the smell test with me. It may not be wrong, but isn’t the Olympics about representing your nation? Not the one that asks you to play for them.
It is different, if you were born in the other country. Many of Greece’s baseball team (in last Olympics) were American citizens of Greek ancestry. I didn’t mind that because their connection to Greece was evident.
She has no connection to Russia other than playing pro ball in Russia.
There is a female ice dancer - Tanith Belbin who won an ice dancing medal in last Olympics. She was awarded US citizenship after being born and raised in Canada in a move that was predominantly centered around competing for the U.S. She did not win a whole lot of friends in Canada with that move.
They certainly have the right to go for their chance to compete. But when they become citizens of other countries to do so, they should expect criticism will follow.
And that would occur in all countries. Not just the United States.
on Jun 16th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Hammon is a 5′5″ shooting guard. You are only allowed to have a few spots for guards on ur Olympic team. So whose spot is she gonna take?! Diana Taurasi’s? Katie Smith’s? Sue Bird’s? Cappie Poindexter’s? Seimone Augustus’s? I don’t think so! She simply is not good enough for the USA Olympic team…
on Jun 16th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
You go Becky! The USA has at least eight foreign-born likely Olympic competitors, one of whom got help from Bush himself to become a citizen in time to compete in the Beijing Olympics.
Who are we to criticize her?
on Jun 16th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
She’s no traitor. If Anne Donovan is so angry about Becky Hammon joining Russia, then maybe she should have considered her for her own team.
At the end of the day, Hammon had an opportunity to play in the Olympics for two nations because she holds dual citizenship… the American team denied her a spot on the team, the Russians wanted her so really, there’s no problem.
on Jun 16th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Samuel Dalembert of the 76ers was born in Haiti but grew up in Canada. He became a Canadian citizen to play on the Canadian basketball team in the Olympics.
My thought is she’s certainly not a traitor. If there’s a problem, the problem is with the Olympics and who is allowed to qualify for a country. If an athlete is able to qualify for citizenship in a way that non-athletes aren’t, there’s a problem.
on Jun 16th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Hakeem Olajuwon played for one of the “Dream Team”s. No???
I’m certain that he could have put a Nigerian hoops squad into the Olympics all by himself had he tried.
Traitor!
on Jun 17th, 2008 at 12:14 am
honestly, it’s the Olympics. When was the last time anyone really cared about them? The Olympic ideal was destroyed decades ago.
on Jun 17th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Anne Donovan should just shut up. She didn’t want Becky to play for her team.
Way to go Becky for finding an alternate way to get to the Olympics as a competitor, How many people actually get that chance as an athlete.
Anne, wouldn’t you have done the same thing if you were in her position?
on Jun 17th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Thank you for the toilet paper
But your flag’s meaningless to me
Look around, we’re all people
Who needs country’s anyway?
Dead Kennedys
on Jun 18th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
My country tis of thee . . .
on Jun 22nd, 2008 at 10:15 am
Anne Donovan is right, of course she is a traitor. Even worse, she is a cry baby. She was not good enough to make her country’s team. Period. So she sold out her country for her own good. Shame on her. And double shame on her for not having the stiff upper lip to hack the complaints that she surely should have expected.
on Aug 4th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Complete traitor !!!!!!! period.. she should stay in Russia