Steve Nash

The Brooklyn Nets have attempted to arrest the chaos surrounding the franchise by firing head coach Steve Nash after two seasons in the job.

On Monday night, fans courtside [wore t-shirts](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/oct/31/brooklyn-nets-fight-antisemitism-shirts-kyrie-irving) reading “Fight antisemitism” as Irving played in front of them. [seemingly passed](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/aug/23/kevin-durant-ends-nets-trade-demand-and-agrees-to-move-forward) there was instability elsewhere. Eyebrows were raised when Nash, whose brilliant playing career ended with his enshrinement in the basketball hall of fame, was appointed to lead the Nets, despite never having served as a head coach. Harden struggled with injury and was eventually traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that brought Ben Simmons to Brooklyn, and [the Nets were swept](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/apr/26/brooklyn-nets-loss-boston-celtics-nba-playoffs-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving) in the first-round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. In August, Durant reportedly demanded to be traded unless the Nets fired Nash and Marks. When Nash joined the Nets at the start of the 2020-21 season, they were expected to compete for a championship with the All-Star duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant later joined by former league MVP James Harden.

Mired in an uninspired start on the court and consumed by another round of off-court controversy, the Brooklyn Nets parted ways with Coach Steve Nash on ...

That decision forced Nash to constantly juggle his starting lineups, and Irving’s inconsistent presence was a contributing factor to Harden’s desire to seek [a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers in February](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/02/10/nba-trades/?itid=lk_inline_manual_24). “I wish the Nets all the success in the world and the Nash’s will be rooting for our team as they turn this season around.” Tsai backed Nash in August following a report that [Durant was seeking a coaching change](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/26/kevin-durant-kyrie-irving-nets-media-day/?itid=lk_inline_manual_19), but the Hall of Fame point guard nevertheless entered the season on the hot seat because of Brooklyn’s unresolved culture questions and need to improve its internal accountability. [suspended by the Celtics](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/22/ime-udoka-suspended/?itid=lk_inline_manual_12) for the season in September for having an inappropriate relationship with a female team staffer. With the Nets heading down the same path as last year, or perhaps a worse one, they had every motivation to make Nash the first coach to be dismissed this season. “My admiration and respect for him grew over time as he brought hard work and positive attitude to our organization every day, even in periods of exceptional storm surrounding the team.” This latest saga followed a season-long ordeal over Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated against the [coronavirus](https://www.washingtonpost.com/coronavirus/?itid=lk_inline_manual_17). Nash, known for his laid-back personality off the court, was hired in 2020 as a player-friendly alternative to Atkinson, who was regarded as a disciplinarian. Along the way, Nash proved willing to cede key coaching decisions, such as how many minutes his stars played in postseason games, even when they were injured. Following a turbulent summer in which Durant requested a trade, Brooklyn started the season 2-5 and possesses the NBA’s 29th-ranked defense. There were times where a quarter was taken off, a half was taken off, a game was taken off, and we didn’t compete.” The Nets began pursuing exiled Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka as Nash’s full-time replacement, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

Steve Nash is out as Brooklyn Nets coach after a disappointing start and more controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving.

But things started poorly this season and Nash gave some his hardest criticism of the team during his tenure after their loss to Indiana on Saturday night. Nash led the Nets to a 92-62 record and the playoffs in both full seasons, his first as an NBA coach. A person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press the violations were related to an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the organization.

The Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Steve Nash after the team started the NBA season with one of the league's worst records and amid swirling controversy ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Nash is out as Brooklyn Nets coach after a disappointing start and more controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving.

“Do we want to give up on this because it’s been difficult early, or do we want to stay the course and start to build something?” Beyond the player changes, Nash also had to adapt to changes on his bench. The Nets said a decision on the team’s next coach would be made in the near future. Nash led the Nets to a 92-62 record and the playoffs in both full seasons, his first as an NBA coach. Durant said he wanted to be traded this summer if the Nets didn’t fire Marks and Nash, but Tsai stood by them and Durant eventually pulled back his request. A person with knowledge of the matter said the Nets were in discussions with suspended Boston coach Ime Udoka — a former Brooklyn assistant who is not with the Celtics this season because he was found to have violated team rules by having a relationship with a female staffer within the organization.

MIAMI — The Brooklyn Nets agreed to part ways with head coach Steve Nash on Tuesday after the team's disappointing 2-5 start to the season.

The providers of these cookies may use the data as explained in their privacy policies. You can opt out of these analytics cookies by unselecting the boxes below. You can continue to the site without accepting these cookies but certain features may not be available or function properly.

The Brooklyn Nets fired Steve Nash on Tuesday, but the move made little difference in how the team played on the court under interim head coach Ja Brooklyn.

A strange game in the midst of a stranger day -- even for the Nets. A meltdown by the Nets down the stretch. However, Kyrie Irving notched just four points, six rebounds and seven assists in 33 minutes in an uninspired showing in front of the Nets faithful.

But there's a big difference between having Steph Curry as the other star rather than Kyrie Irving, and that difference is part of why Nash got fired by the ...

James Harden got hurt and demanded a trade, and [Durant asked for Nash to be fired](https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F3485297%2F2022%2F08%2F08%2Fkevin-durant-nets-trade-steve-nash%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goldenstateofmind.com%2F2022%2F11%2F1%2F23436084%2Fkerr-on-nash-we-wouldnt-have-done-better) this summer. “I think he has all the qualities to be a brilliant coach. After his Hall of Fame playing career, Nash became a player development consultant for the Warriors, working for his old bosses from Phoenix, Steve Kerr and Rick Welts. And that’s the truth.” But there’s a big difference between having Steph Curry as the other star rather than Kyrie Irving, and that difference is part of why Nash got fired by the Nets after 2+ years. Throw either one of us in that situation and we wouldn’t have done any better than Steve.

The star-loaded Nets have an awful record and parted ways with Coach Steve Nash. But a bigger problem with Kyrie Irving and his antisemitic social media ...

Part of that is the responsibility to gain critical understanding before using the power of your voice. Irving and others did that in 2020, ushering in a new age of empowerment, and athletes felt encouraged to speak up against authority. Instead, he doubled down, sticking to what has now become the script for public cowards, casting himself as a victim of reporters and anyone else who dares to ask about his support of hatred. Irving recently shared to his sizable social media following a link to a film that is a case study in antisemitic tropes and the disgusting narratives that have dogged and harmed Jews for generations. “On the other hand, he’s a role model, one of the most beloved players in the league, let alone in Brooklyn. Fueled by antisemitism from several quarters, acts of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions reached the highest level seen in the nearly 45 years the A.D.L. He is a vice president of the N.B.A. He is not only a regular in the nationally televised sports firmament, he has 22 million followers on Twitter and Instagram. Has Irving expressed any remorse or doubt for any of his posts? Just a few weeks ago, he was sharing an old video of Alex Jones railing against the so-called New World Order. Irving, the Nets point guard, is a basketball star with a megaphone. And Irving’s offensive posts, while no longer online, are clearly overshadowing the Nets, and the league.

The Nets dumped their coach, but the team has never lived up to expectations. And there's no clear path forward now.

And after Durant asked to be traded over the summer, it’s not hard to imagine him asking for that again. But at the end of the day, we all came to work. They struggled on the defensive end, and particularly at the end, when they allowed Bulls guard Zach LaVine to outscore the Nets by himself (20 points to 19) in the final period. While Durant said he was “shocked” to wake up from a nap and find out Nash had been fired, he did not seem surprised by the move. Vaughn will serve as the interim coach until the Nets find a permanent leader; he said he did not know how long that would take. But the Vaughn-directed Nets looked like the same team they had been all season. So regardless of who the coach is, regardless of the circumstances, still got to come to work.” Marks’s problem, the Nets’ problem, is there is no real proof that this team or that any of the other teams assembled during Irving and Durant’s tenure was built to win a championship. The Nets trotted out a revamped roster that also included Ben Simmons and Joe Harris, who were returning from injuries, and the new addition Royce O’Neale, but they struggled out of the gate. Ever since the All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant joined the team in the summer of 2019, the Nets had been supremely talented on paper, with hopes of multiple N.B.A. On Tuesday, the Nets [announced that their coach, Steve Nash](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/sports/basketball/steve-nash-fired-nets.html), was out. But that may take longer than he likes: An hour or so after he finished his news conference, the Nets took the court and lost again, falling to the Chicago Bulls, 108-99.

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant said he was "shocked" about former head coach Steve Nash's departure and learned about the news by turning on the TV ...

There's no singular reason that a coach loses his team, and Marks said that "there was zero input from any of the players on this," but Durant calling for Nash's job in the summer couldn't have helped. The team has been a mess on and off the court, with Nash describing their loss to the But it was on the mind for a little bit today." "But it's normal in the Nash and the team mutually agreed to part ways after a frustrating and chaotic start to the season. It's a quick turnaround always in the league, especially during the season.

Durant said the Nets have been "a roller coaster last few years." If the Nets hire Ime Udoka, it could be a while before the ride stops.

We hope to be one of those teams, by arising at the decision we will in the next few days hopefully that will be a catalyst for a turnaround.” And it’s why the Nets reportedly are willing to bring in Udoka, [who’s summer’s storyline rivaled Durant’s trade/firing reques](https://theathletic.com/3653819/2022/10/18/nba-preview-2022/). [Ben Simmons](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/ben-simmons-xfSMIwcIYOvLWzUw/), hoping that Simmons can be a third star to complement Durant and Irving. In the standings, and defensively, the only place is up. “I think that was probably the unique thing with Steve and I,” Marks said. Injuries and attrition are a part of every team’s season, but Durant got hurt each of the past two years, limiting him to 90 games. It’s why they’re going on their third coach since the duo came to Brooklyn. [was suspended for the season by the Celtics in late September](https://theathletic.com/3752912/2022/11/01/celtics-nets-ime-udoka/) for a violation of team policies stemming from an improper intimate workplace relationship. But by declining to go into specifics, he didn’t offer much of an explanation for why the Nets have chosen the roads they have. It’s a unique what-if filled history and the Durant and Irving era has been defined by it. The [Celtics](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/celtics/) seem ready to let him go without asking for compensation. The team has taken so many twists and turns it makes The Cyclone on Coney Island look like a playground slide.

Kevin Durant said he was "shocked" to find out Steve Nash had been fired by the Nets, and the team GM said no player was consulted on the move.

With those falling, it let [Jimmy Butler](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29711/jimmy-butler) and [Bam Adebayo](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30440/bam-adebayo) get downhill against the Warriors’ defense. [Stephen Curry](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29477/stephen-curry) put on a show and dropped a triple-double of 23 points, 13 boards and 13 assists. [Kevin Durant](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29277/kevin-durant) led all scorers with 32 (and had to defend 7-footer Nikola Vucevic for long stretches because nobody else could), while Irving had a rough night. Butler stepped up against the Warriors and that’s a positive; the bad news is [Tyler Herro](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/51044/tyler-herro) left the game after 10 minutes with a bruised eye (that’s why there were so many Duncan Robinson minutes). It’s a long season, but the signs are promising early in the Valley of the Sun. It’s not some impossible hole for Brooklyn to find its way out of, but it’s a sign of the issues — teams usually win “the coach was fired” game because they hustle more, play with some emotion. Take that in for a minute: While the Celtics and CAA (Udoka’s agents) have been able to keep a lid on the details of the accusations, it was serious enough for Boston to say its culture and people mattered more than what a winning coach brought on the court. Nash was not to blame for the lack of rim protection on defense, What is the message to women working in that organization? Nash was not the solution to the Nets’ issues, but he wasn’t the cause of them, either. This is the same organization that took the moral high ground last season and said if Irving wasn’t vaccinated he couldn’t play on the road with the team (not just the home games, where the New York City vaccine mandate stopped him from coming to work). Well, the Nets took the moral high ground until they lost too many games and Durant wanted Irving back, then they pivoted to letting Irving play on the road.

The NBA world was absolutely shocked when the Brooklyn Nets fired Steve Nash after the team defeated the Indiana Pacers. Many believe he didn't really have ...

There wasn't a coach in the NBA that had to deal with a more toxic situation over the last two years than Steve Nash did. It speaks volumes to have a coach as accomplished as Steve Kerr to praise Nash in the way that he did. Many believe he didn't really have a fair shot in such a tumultuous situation like the Nets, including Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.