Steve Nash has a fine line to walk in his first year as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.
He doesn’t want to appear to be siding with the media against one of his star players, but he’s a stand-up guy and doesn’t doesn’t want to cross the press, either.
So when Nash was asked to weigh into the latest Kyrie Irving situation on Sunday, he said he didn’t know why Irving is boycotting the media or whether the boycott will continue.
“I haven’t addressed it with him, it’s a good question,” Nash said Saturday on a Zoom call with reporters. “He’s been unbelievable in camp, he’s been playing at an extremely high level. He’s been a leader and so while he may not be in you guys’ good books right now, he’s in my good books so I’m enjoying coaching him, he’s been unbelievable. But if he seeks my thoughts or wants to discuss it, I’m happy to discuss it with him. But I have not had that conversation with him yet.”
With a healthy Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets are among the favorites to contend for the NBA title just behind the defending champion Lakers and the Bucks.
Irving issued his “media blackout” last Friday in which he indicated in a social media post he would not speak to Nets beat writers or other reporters this season.
On Thursday, the NBA announced it was fining both Irving and the Nets $25,000 for not speaking to the media “on several occasions.”
Irving then doubled down on his blackout in his Instagram story by quoting Malcolm X.
“I’ve had enough of someone else’s propaganda,” Irving wrote. “I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more.”
His former teammate Kevin Love said Thursday calling someone a “pawn” was “a sure sign of disrespect.”
Asked if he knew why Irving feels this way about the media or whether it will continue, Nash said, “I don’t. To be honest, I’m trying to learn my position as well right now so I’m definitely focusing on our process here of implementing all of our schemes, sets, scenarios, starting to schedule those things out, hitting the film every day and so I haven’t gotten into the off-the-court stuff yet so I apologize if I can’t give you a better answer yet.”
The Nets open the preseason Sunday against the Wizards and the regular season Dec. 22 at Golden State.
