Getty Steve Nash reacts to a play during a Brooklyn Nets game.
Steve Kerr feels for his friend and former staff member Steve Nash, and believes he was the victim of a bad situation in Brooklyn.
Nash and the Nets agreed to part ways on Tuesday after the team stumbled to a 2-5 start following a drama-filled summer. The Golden State Warriors coach spoke out about Nash’s ouster before Golden State’s November 1 game against the Miami Heat, saying he felt bad for the situation and doesn’t believe Nash deserves to shoulder the blame for the unraveling of the super-team.
Kerr Says Nash Forced Into Impossible Situation
Kerr has a close connection to Nash, who served as a consultant for the Warriors starting in the 2015-16 season. The Warriors coach said he considers Nash a friend, and believes he will still succeed in the NBA when he finds the right situation.
Kerr also appeared to take a dig at the Nets’ ownership, hinting that the problems in Brooklyn extended far beyond the coach.
“Steve Nash is a good friend of mine, so more than anything I feel for Steve,” Kerr said, via a report from the San Francisco Chronicle. “I think he has all the qualities to be a brilliant coach. Brilliant. It’s a good reminder to me and to all coaches that we are all at the whim of players, front offices, ownership. You really need a solid situation in which to thrive as a coach in this league.”
Steve Kerr on the Steve Nash firing. “I feel for Steve…”
The Nets were coming off a disappointing season, falling to 44-38 and needing the play-in tournament to grab the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They were then swept out of the first round by the Boston Celtics.
The team endured more turmoil over the summer, with star Kevin Durant requesting a trade but later deciding to return. Kerr said if he were put in a similar situation, he may have suffered the same fate as Nash.
“(Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and I) are really lucky,” Kerr said. “Throw either one of us in that situation, we wouldn’t have done any better and that’s the truth. So as a really good friend of mine, I feel bad for Steve. But I also know if he ever wants to get back in this thing he can be great, he just needs a more stable environment.”
Nets May Have Nash’s Replacement Lined Up
The Nets may be moving quickly to fill the vacancy on the bench after Nash’s departure. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the team is finalizing a deal to hire suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka.
As Wojnarowski noted, Udoka has close ties both to Nash and the Nets front office.
“Udoka was an assistant for one season under Nash in 2020-21 before becoming the Celtics’ coach and leading them to the NBA Finals last season,” he wrote. “Udoka has a long history with Nets general manager Sean Marks, dating back to them working together with the San Antonio Spurs.”
Udoka had been suspended by the Celtics after an independent investigation found that he used crude language with a female staffer and then entered into an improper relationship with the woman.
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Warriors’ Steve Kerr Takes Dig at Nets After Steve Nash’s Ouster