Getty Coach Steve Nash chats with Kevin Durant.
Ever since the Shams Charania report about the recent meeting between Kevin Durant and Brooklyn Nets team owner Joe Tsai, the Nets forward has been the subject of a lot of criticism. In the meeting, the 12-Time All-Star reiterated his desire to be traded from Brooklyn exactly a year after agreeing to a four-year, $198 million contract extension with the Nets.
One of the main sources of criticism, aside from being under contract, is that Durant gave Tsai an ultimatum where he had to choose between him or Nets general manager Sean Marks and head coach Joe Tsai.
“In a meeting with Nets owner Joe Tsai, Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that Tsai needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash, sources say,” Shams Charania of The Athletic shared in a tweet.
Fans were quick to point out Durant’s public comments about Nash and beliefs that Nash was hired because of Durant. However, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report dispelled that rumor on the August 9 episode of his podcast.
Durant Not Behind Nash Hiring
Ever since his hire, fans speculated that Nash, a former player with no head coaching experience, was hired to be the coach of this Brooklyn Nets team was because of his relationship with Kevin Durant when he played in Golden State and Nash was on the coaching staff. However, that report seems to be inaccurate.
“From my knowledge, I don’t believe that to be the case. Obviously, Kevin Durant pre this summer, everything that happened in Brooklyn, Durant stamped. But that doesn’t mean that he was the driving factor behind anything,” Fischer shared on his podcast. “I think that the public and others took his close relationship with [Steve] Nash in Golden State and just assumed that that was the reason why Nash got hired.”
“From my understanding, Sean Marks’ connections with Nash from their playing days and Marks believing that Nash could be the type of Hall-of-Fame former player figure that could really be the leader to keep this star-studded group together was the driving force behind that hire, and not Kevin Durant.” Fischer continued.
There are things about the Durant news and offseason, in general, to be upset about, even NBA executives have been quoted as being ‘livid.’ However, the blame that has been placed on Durant for the hire of Steve Nash is a misrepresentation. The hire was made by Marks, but Durant did give a stamp of approval, but he alone did not hand pick Nash, he merely said yes to the name presented.
Kevin Durant’s Old Comments on Nash Hiring
Kevin Durant himself has already previously dispelled the claims that he was the reason Nash was hired by the Nets in 2020 on The Joe Budden Podcast.
“First of all, I didn’t pick the Nets coach. We’ve got people in place that do that. I just supported it: Me and Kyrie,” said Durant. “We’re always on the same page. He’s just a hooper. It doesn’t matter.”