Kyrie Irving’s recent comments about the Brooklyn Nets’ hiring of Steve Nash as head coach have reignited debate over how the franchise’s short-lived superteam came undone.
Speaking on a livestream, Irving revealed that both he and Nash had mutual reservations about working together, and hinted that Kevin Durant was the driving force behind Nash’s appointment.
“How Steve ended up becoming our head coach—I’ll let K [Kevin Durant] answer that when he’s ready,” Irving said. “When Steve became our head coach, he even admitted to me that he had his own reserves on coaching me, and I had my reserves on being coached by him.”
The quote, raw and reflective, offers a rare glimpse into the interpersonal dynamics that shaped, and ultimately fractured. the Nets’ ambitious title pursuit.
When the Nets hired Nash in 2020, the move raised eyebrows across the league. Nash had no prior head coaching experience, but he shared a close relationship with Durant from their time together in Golden State, where Nash served as a player development consultant. Irving, meanwhile, reportedly favored other candidates with championship credentials, such as Phil Handy.
Irving’s comments suggest that while he accepted Nash’s hiring out of respect for Durant, he never fully bought into the decision.
“This is your man’s,” Irving said, referring to Durant. “You want Steve to coach? That’s fine. I don’t care. I’ll support it.”
The partnership between Nash and Irving was rocky from the start. Reports surfaced that Irving would ignore Nash’s play calls during games, and at one point, Irving publicly stated that the Nets didn’t need a traditional head coach, implying that he and Durant could share that role.
Irving now admits that the lack of trust was mutual.
“We had already hashed that out,” he said. “But I’m not gonna sit here and pretend like yeah, it was all easy around everything in Brooklyn.”
Nash himself has acknowledged the challenges, saying on a recent podcast with Durant that he felt his hands were tied and couldn’t fully implement his coaching vision.
The Nets’ experiment with Irving, Durant, and later James Harden was plagued by injuries, off-court controversies, and internal dysfunction. Irving missed significant time due to his refusal to comply with New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Harden requested a trade, and Durant eventually issued an ultimatum to fire Nash and GM Sean Marks if he were to stay.
Nash was fired just seven games into the 2022–23 season. Irving and Durant were traded shortly after, ending one of the most hyped but underwhelming eras in recent NBA history.
