Steve Nash Claims He Did Not Speak With Kevin Durant About Coaching The Nets

In the days since Steve Nash was hired to coach the Brooklyn Nets, the assumption among fans and media has been that the decision was made mostly in accordance with what Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would want. And while that still may be true, Nash put to bed the idea that his hire was made with Durant’s hands on the controls.

In fact, Nash made it clear that it was him who reached out to Nets general manager Sean Marks himself, rather than the other way around. We know Nash and Durant formed a strong relationship when Nash was an advisor with the Warriors, but this was not a case of behind-the-scenes negotiations between a superstar and a coaching candidate.

“Kevin and I have a relationship, we’re friends, but I did not talk to him specifically about this,” Nash said at his introductory press conference. “For me it was really trying to hone in on what I could bring to the table here and fulfill what this franchise is looking for.”

Since being hired, Nash has spoken with both Durant and Irving, he said. Even if their blessing wasn’t the sole green light for Marks, it’s clear Nash will have to gain buy-in from both players to be successful in Brooklyn.

Nash and Durant have their own relationship — the former was a consultant with the Warriors during the latter’s tenure in the Bay — but Nash expanded upon his past with Irving as well, dating back to when the two worked out together a few years back and which has continued to the present day. Nash went on to call Irving one of his all-time favorites.

Whether Nash explicitly spoke with either star player about the job and their involvement in the search won’t matter much when the basketball begins. That Nash has cultivated relationships with both and whether he can continue to do so will be the decisive force in the Nets’ success next season as they pursue the franchise’s first championship.