NBA: Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash named Nets coach

Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash was named coach of the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, taking over a team with All-Star players Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Nash takes on his first coaching job after five years as a player development coordinator for the Golden State Warriors, serving as a consultant for a team that won two NBA crowns and made four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.

“Training is something that I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right and I am honored to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff that we have here in Brooklyn,” Nash said.

“I’m just as excited about the team’s prospects on the court as I am about moving to Brooklyn with my family and becoming impactful members of this community.”

The 46-year-old Canadian will try to revive a Nets team that has won just one playoff series since 2007. The Nets have made first-round playoff starts in the past two seasons.

Nash worked with 2014 league MVP and 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals MVP Durant while with the Warriors. Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the NBA Finals last year before leaving Golden State for Brooklyn.

Reuniting with the superstar could provide the boost team owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks seek for the Nets.

“Steve shares our vision for the future of this franchise and his character exemplifies the core principles of our organization as we work to serve our communities,” said Tsai.

Nash was an eight-time NBA All-Star guard who played 18 seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers, and won consecutive MVP awards in 2005 and 2006 playing for Phoenix.

He ranks third on the all-time assist list with 10,335.

“In Steve, we see a leader, communicator and mentor who will earn the respect of our players,” said Marks. “One of the great leaders on the court in our game, I have witnessed firsthand his acumen in basketball and his selfless approach to prioritizing team success.

“His instincts for the game, combined with an inherent ability to communicate and bring players together towards a common goal, will prepare us to compete at the highest levels in the league.”

Nash, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, will see Jacque Vaughn return as his best assistant coach.

The Nets, who had only 20 games this season from Irving, who was often injured, went 5-3 in the NBA bubble reset under Vaughn, who replaced coach Kenny Atkinson in March, before being swept. by Toronto in the first round of the playoffs.

Nash served as general manager of the Canadian national team from 2012 to 2019. (UPDATED: 12:00 AM)