In a surprising decision, the Brooklyn Nets have hired Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash to be the franchise’s next head coach.
What We Know:
- The New York Times’ Marc Stein first reported the news and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Nash had agreed to a four-year contract. Wojnarowski also reported that Nets owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks had been “aggressive” to recruit Nash.
- This move comes as a shock to many because Nash has no coaching experience and has been hesitant to take positions on coaching staffs or in front offices. After retiring from playing in 2014, he served as a player development consultant with the Golden State Warriors.
- Nash’s hiring has initially rubbed some the wrong way because it seems that several experienced, successful, and qualified Black coaching candidates were passed up whereas Nash has the privilege to land this job without any coaching experience. Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn will stay on staff as an assistant. Vaughn took over as head coach midway through the 2019-2020 season after Kenny Atkinson was fired and led the Nets to the first round of the playoffs.
Nash may be good. Heck, I’d lean towards him being good.
The issue is that guys like Nash – and guys that look like Nash – get these type of blank slate gambles a lotttttttt more often than seasoned black assistants, much less those who also have a relatively blank slate.
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) September 3, 2020
https://twitter.com/TylerRickyTynes/status/1301524505693745152
- Part of what made Nash an attractive candidate, aside from his playing career, was his relationships with members of the Nets organization. Nash worked for the Golden State Warriors while Kevin Durant was there and it’s clear that they have tremendous respect for each other. “He’s someone I can talk to about anything and somebody I really respect. His basketball mind is probably the best I’ve been around,” Durant said of Nash in 2018. Part of this coaching search was that franchise players Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had to be okay with the candidate and Nash’s relationships with them and reputation as a former player certainly garnered their approval.
Steve Nash is a 2-time MVP and recognized as one of the greatest point guards to ever play. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. With Nash as head coach and a healthy Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving returning next season, the Brooklyn Nets expect to be immediate title contenders.
