Steve Nash is out as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, the team announced on Tuesday.
In the lead-up to Tuesday’s game the game against Chicago Bulls, Nets general manager Sean Marks said that both Nash as well as Nash considered this to be the best time to move but acknowledged that the two of them were aware that the decision would be made earlier rather than later, particularly following the fact that Brooklyn was unable to get off to a 2-5 starting point under Nash.
“We were both of us thinking it was the right time to take action,” Marks said. “It was definitely trending in this direction, and, let’s be honest, the team wasn’t performing the way is supposed to do. We’ve been slipping away from our targets in achieving our goals and it’s the right time to get back on track because we have aspirations for what we want to get to.”
In an announcement, Nash thanked Marks and team leadership for the “amazing experience, with many obstacles that I’m extremely thankful for.”
It became clearer after the final quarter of the season how angry Nash was with the continual controversy that his team was experiencing on the court. The last time the issue turned out to be Kyrie Irving’s refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19 which hung over the team; this season it’s Kyrie Irving’s social media posts that promote films and books that have antisemitic beliefs.
Suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka has been identified as the most likely next Nets Head Coach and his appointment could be announced as early as within the next 48 to 72 hours, according to sources who spoke with Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN. The Celtics will allow Udoka to depart for a new job according to sources.
The goal is that Udoka can strengthen his grip on the Nets defensively and win the respect of the franchise’s most important players. Udoka was a part of Nash’s staff prior to accepting his Celtics job and taking the Eastern Conference. Udoka’s stint in Boston was effectively done after receiving a year’s suspension for having an inappropriate workplace relationship with an employee who was female.
The assistant coach Jacque Vaughn was acting head coach on Tuesday against the Bulls which the Nets defeated 108-99 dropping to 2-6. Kevin Durant had 29 rebounds and 32 points however, Irving was able to score just four points while shooting 2 for 12. He failed to score on six of his attempts to score three points.
In his pregame press conference on Tuesday, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr called Nash a “hell of an instructor” and also noted that his exile is a reminder of the importance of overall team environments for success in coaching.
“[I’mextremely lucky,” Kerr said. “You place me into that scenario, and I couldn’t do anything worse.”
The first coach of his kind, Nash was appointed by the Nets in 2020 to take over from Kenny Atkinson a year after Durant and Irving joined the team.
Although a team led by a Hall of Fame former player who worked previously with Durant as a player in Golden State seemed like a recipe for success, however, the Nets failed to meet their lofty targets set by this team by Nash.
Brooklyn was in the playoffs the two Nash full seasons, but they only won one game. Mega-trades and injuries were a constant during Nash’s tenure. The team bought James Harden in the 2020-21 year and then traded him in the last season in a deal that resulted in the signing of Ben Simmons. Simmons was not able to debut for the Nets debut until the start of this season, and the two players, Durant or Irving have played in 60 games during a season after signing with Brooklyn due to injuries or the case of Irving, his decision not to get vaccinations.
In the offseason of last year, The Nets faced trade requests from Irving Durant and Durant. The Nets didn’t come up with a viable trade for Irving. At a meeting of Owner Joe Tsai in London, sources told ESPN that Durant demanded Tsai to select among him or the brain trust comprised of Nash Marks and Nash. Marks. Both men were retained and Durant later backed down on his request for trade Nash’s stint in Brooklyn has ended.
In the first season of Nash’s tenure in the league, the Nets along with Harden were awarded the No. 2 selection within the Eastern Conference, but injuries to Harden and Irving led to the team’s seven-game defeat at the hands of the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
At the time of last season’s year’s campaign, the Nets were believed to be among the top teams in the East, however, Harden was transferred away to Philadelphia as Irving was limited to 29 games during the regular season after deciding not to get vaccines. Brooklyn was eliminated at the beginning of round one by Boston.
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