Celebrating Black History Month: Stockton Kings Coach Lindsey Harding

LEADING THE STOCKTON. KINGS PLAY ON SUKKUR. HE. SHE’S THE FACE OF THE FRANCHISE. LINDSEY HARDING HAS BEEN A SLAM DUNK AS THE FIRST EVER BLACK FEMALE HEAD COACH IN THE NBA, G LEAGUE. I JUST WANT TO DO MY BEST AND BE ABLE TO SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT, AND IF I DO THAT, THEN I’M HAPPY. HER LOVE OF SPORTS STARTED EARLY. I WANT TO RUN TRACK IN THE OLYMPICS. THAT WAS MY THING. UH, GYMNASTICS WAS PROBABLY MY FIRST LOVE. LOVE. I DID SOCCER, I DID, I DID, UH, VOLLEYBALL AND THEN, UH, STARTED WITH BASKETBALL. MY FIRST YEAR PLAYING BASKETBALL IN JUNIOR HIGH WAS THE FIRST YEAR THE HOUSTON COMETS IN THE WNBA KIND OF STARTED. SO. SO WATCHING THOSE WOMEN WAS, UH, VERY INSPIRING FOR ME. AND I MADE A GOAL RIGHT THEN AND THERE. I WANTED TO PLAY IN THE WNBA. AFTER PLAYING AT DUKE, HARDING WAS THE NUMBER ONE OVERALL PICK IN THE 2007 WNBA DRAFT, AND I PLAYED. ABOUT TEN YEARS IN THE WNBA AND GOT A CHANCE TO PLAY IN THE OLYMPICS WITH THE BELARUS NATIONAL TEAM, WORKED WITH THEM AND HAD A GREAT, PRETTY LONG CAREER. HARDING NEVER IMAGINED HER NEXT SHOT AT STAYING IN THE GAME WOULD BE ON THE SIDELINES. I WANTED TO DO MORE FRONT OFFICE AND STARTED TO COACH, AND HERE I AM AND I LOVE IT. SHE WAS A SCOUT AND A PLAYER DEVELOPMENT COACH FOR THE 76 ERS, THEN AN ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE SACRAMENTO KINGS BEFORE HER BARRIER BREAKING PROMOTION IN STOCKTON. AND I DON’T TAKE IT LIGHTLY I AM FULLY AWARE THAT THERE’S A LOT OF LITTLE GIRLS THAT DO LOOK UP. TO ME. HARDING’S CREDIBILITY GOES BEYOND HER LENGTHY BASKETBALL RESUME. THE MAJORITY OF THIS LEAGUE, AS WELL AS IN THE NBA, ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN. THEY ARE LIKE. MY BROTHER OR MY COUSINS. THERE’S A LEVEL AND UNDERSTANDING OF UPBRINGING, OF BACKGROUND, OF CULTURE, WHERE THERE’S WAYS THAT I CAN CONNECT WITH THEM DUE TO MY SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. COACH HARDING’S STYLE WITH A FOCUS ON TEAM BALL, IS PAYING OFF. THE TEAM RANKS NUMBER TWO IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE. I JUST WANT TO ENJOY EVERY MINUTE THE WINS. NOT ENJOYING THE LOSSES, BUT LIKE SITTING IN IT BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO GO QUICK. LOOK AT THE BACKSPIN. YOU WANT IT BACKSPIN. NOT THAT SHE NEEDS MY $0.02, BUT I THINK ANOTHER. MARK OF A GREAT COACH SHOWING THIS JOURNALIST WHO’S NEVER STEPPED FOOT ON A PROFESSIONAL COURT HOW TO LAND A BASKET IN JUST A FEW SECONDS. NOW REACH UP. THERE YOU GO. THAT WAS GOOD. GOOD. THERE YOU GO. IN STOCKTON BRANDI CUMMINGS KCRA THREE NEWS. CELEBRATING. BLACK HISTORY. THAT’S WHY SHE’S A GREAT COACH, RIGHT? THE STOCKTON KINGS HAVE 14 WINS AND SEVEN LOSSES. THIS SEASON. THEIR NEXT GAME IS ON WEDNESDAY AT ADVENTIST HEALTH ARENA. AND YOU CAN WATCH OUR KCRA THREE SPECIAL PROJECT COMMUNITY CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY COMING UP THIS. WEDNESDAY. WE’LL HAVE STORIES OF INFLUENTIAL LEADERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS BREAKI