Getty Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reacts as he is called for a technical foul during the second quarter of a NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans
At the start of this NBA season, it seemed all but inevitable that Steve Nash would be coaching his last games for the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have underachieved his entire time as their coach, but have also dealt with more than any other team could imagine with injuries, vaccine mandates, and more. Before the season even began, the Nets’ star player Kevin Durant issued team governor Joe Tsai an ultimatum to trade him or fire Steve Nash and Sean Marks. After a meeting, Durant took back his request for a trade and ultimatum and Nash and Marks were still at the helm in Brooklyn. Until November 1, when Nash and the team agreed to part ways.
Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to announce the news of Nash’s firing. News quickly filtered in that disgraced Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is the likely replacement on the Nets bench. The news came just hours before the team tipped off against the Chicago Bulls at home, and folks around the NBA have already been given the opportunity to react.
Steve Kerr on Nets Coaching Situation
One of the people that had the opportunity to react to the Nets firing Nash news was four-time championship-winning head coach for the Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr. Kerr, is of course familiar with Nash as he gave him his first coaching opportunities on his Warriors staff. Nash served as an assistant or consultant to Kerr from 2016-2020 when Nash got the call to be the Nets’ head coach.
Nash has had constant drama circling him since his arrival in Brooklyn. Nash was an incredibly inexperienced coach and was given situations that would be difficult for even veteran head coaches to navigate. Steve Kerr told the media on Tuesday just how impossible the Nets coaching situation was and his belief that not even he or Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra would be able to do it with this Nets squad.
“You throw either of us in that situation we wouldn’t have done any better,” Steve Kerr said of himself and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra h/t Ira Winderman.
Steve Kerr on himself and Erik Spoelstra in regard to Steve Nash, “You throw either of us in that situation we wouldn’t have done any better.“
Impossible Nets Coaching Situation
The situation in Brooklyn with this team has been an uphill battle and almost impossible as time has gone on with trade decisions, injuries, vaccine mandates, and more. Nash has even had to deal with his star players saying that they can serve as head coach despite Nash holding the title.
Steve Nash was hired as the head coach of the Nets on September. 3, but Kyrie Irving has said he doesn’t see Nash—or anyone—in that role.
“I don’t really see us having a head coach,” Irving said when appearing on Kevin Durant’s new podcast The ETCs. “You know what I mean? KD could be a head coach. I could be a head coach.”
Durant went onto note that Nets assistant coach Jacque Vaughn could be the head coach at times, along with Nash too. He called the coaching situation for the Nets “a collaborative effort.” As the years went on it looked less and less collaborative and more and more like Nash losing control of the team due to his inexperience and a team giving all power to their superstar players in Irving and Durant.