The Nets fired Coach Steve Nash on Tuesday after the club underperformed on the floor and faced criticism for star guard Kyrie Irving’s off-court behavior.
Keypoints
- The Nets fired Coach Steve Nash on Tuesday after the club underperformed on the floor and faced criticism for star guard Kyrie Irving’s off-court behavior.
- Irving returned in time for the playoffs after New York City altered the regulations, but the Boston Celtics swept the Nets in the first round, ending the series in front of thousands of disappointed Brooklyn supporters.
- “Durant approached the team’s front office during the summer to request a trade.
- According to The Athletic, Durant has asked Nets owner Joe Tsai to pick between him and Marks and Nash.
- However, the Nets struggled early in the season, losing five of their first six games.
Detailed Reports
The Nets fired Coach Steve Nash on Tuesday after the club underperformed on the floor and faced criticism for star guard Kyrie Irving’s off-court behavior.
Sean Marks, the Nets’ general manager, stated that the scenario was especially tough because of his long friendship with Nash, a former teammate whom he recruited to coach the team in September 2020.
“We both felt that this was the time,” Marks said before the Nets’ game against the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center on Tuesday night. “It was definitely moving that way, and to be honest, the team wasn’t doing what it was supposed to be doing.” We’ve strayed from our objectives.”
Despite having all three of their greatest players, Irving, Kevin Durant, and Ben Simmons, the Nets are among the weakest teams in the NBA at 2-5. The team has also been grappling with blowback in the last week after Irving pushed an anti-Semitic documentary on social media.
Marks stated that he had not sought advice from the players on his choice to replace coaches.
“He hasn’t had an even playing field in two and a half years here,” Marks said of Nash. “And for that, I surely feel some responsibility because this is not his fault.” I take a lot of responsibility for constructing the roster, hiring staff, and bringing in new players, whether through free agency or the draft.”
Nash, 48, was hired prior to the 2020-21 season despite having never coached professionally, even as an assistant. The Nets were chastised for selecting Nash, a white player, over seasoned Black coaches. Jacque Vaughn, a Nets assistant coach, was named interim head coach against the Bulls on Tuesday. When the Nets hired Nash, Vaughn, who is Black, was passed over.
Nash has the pedigree of being one of the best point guards in NBA history, having won two Most Valuable Player Awards over a stellar career that spanned from 1996 to 2014. He began by surrounding himself with veteran coaches like as Vaughn and Mike D’Antoni, both of whom had mentored him as a player in Phoenix.
Nash led the Nets to a 94-67 record and a.584 winning percentage in just over two seasons, but only one playoff series victory to show for it. Nash congratulated the team in a Twitter statement on Tuesday.
“It was a fantastic experience with many obstacles that I’m really grateful for,” he said, adding, “and the Nash’s will be rooting for our team as they turn this season around.”
Nash faced issues from the outset, including injuries (Durant; Simmons), trades (Simmons in, then out), and Irving’s unwillingness to get inoculated against the coronavirus, which resulted in him missing the most of the 2021-22 season due to local laws.
Irving returned in time for the playoffs after New York City altered the regulations, but the Boston Celtics swept the Nets in the first round, ending the series in front of thousands of disappointed Brooklyn supporters.
Durant stated at the time, “We had big aspirations.” “Everyone had high hopes for us.” But a lot of things happened over the season that threw us off track.”
Durant approached the team’s front office during the summer to request a trade. According to The Athletic, Durant has asked Nets owner Joe Tsai to pick between him and Marks and Nash. Tsai issued a statement in which he expressed his support for the team’s front-office staff and coaches.
Durant eventually caved and arrived at training camp in late September. Durant, Irving, and Simmons were supposed to help form one of the league’s most explosive starting lineups.
However, the Nets struggled early in the season, losing five of their first six games. Marks stated that he felt the players had not “bought in” this season and that he was now looking for “a leader” whose message would resonate with them. He stated that he had not made a decision on the team’s next coach and that any prospects would be thoroughly vetted.
