As he laces up for his first game with the Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Durant will have a new coach. In a surprise move, two-time MVP Steve Nash was named Brooklyn’s head coach on Thursday.
Prior to taking over as the Nets new head coach, Nash served as a player development consultant for the Golden State Warriors. The 18-year NBA veteran was apart of Golden State’s franchise during two of their recent championships.
During his long career as a player, the Santa Clara Broncos product averaged 14.3 points on 49.0% shooting from the field and 8.4 assists per contest. The Canadian sharpshooter shot 42.8% from beyond the arc in his NBA Career. Nash averaged a double-double seven times over his career. The new Brooklyn head coach earned bids to eight All-Star games. In 2005 and 2006, Nash was named as the league’s Most Valuable Player.
The Nets interim leader for their time in the Orlando Bubble Jacque Vaughn will stay on in Brooklyn as an assistant coach. With the help of Vaughn, Nash will oversee a team that features a pair of star-caliber players in Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic shared two videos of Nash working with Durant during their time with the Warriors.
Via @AnthonyVslater on Twitter:
Steve Nash working individually with Kevin Durant was a post-practice scene about 7-10 times per year in Durant’s GSW tenure — typically every preseason, for a week midseason, near start of playoffs pic.twitter.com/CW1yS9mVI4
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 3, 2020
Some more Steve Nash working with KD from years past — here on a stutter step-back pic.twitter.com/FpahFnBPrj
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 3, 2020
After the Nets made their announcement, Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors thanked Nash for his service in the Bay Area on Twitter.
Via @SteveKerr on Twitter:
Congratulations to @SteveNash and thank you for all your work over the years with the @warriors. You are going to crush it in Brooklyn! @BrooklynNets
— Steve Kerr (@SteveKerr) September 3, 2020
Via @warriors on Twitter:
Thank you for all your work and wisdom over the years.
Best of luck, @SteveNash 👏 pic.twitter.com/aF8WpSJ7Bm
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) September 3, 2020
