Byron Scott says it's time for NBA teams to give Becky Hammon a shot at becoming the league's first female head coach ... telling TMZ Sports she's ABSOLUTELY qualified.
40-year-old Hammon -- one of the best WNBA players of all time -- became the NBA's first female assistant coach when she joined the San Antonio Spurs back in 2014. But Scott says she's ready to break another coaching barrier by taking control of her own team.
We also asked Scott if Hammon could do a better job with the Showtime Lakers than Pat Riley did ... but you probably already know his answer to that.
FYI, Hammon was a 6-time WNBA All-Star whose number was retired by the San Antonio Stars. Plus, in 2011, she was named one of the WNBA's top 15 players of all time.