Arguably the best Canadian basketball player ever, Hall of Famer Steve Nash has worked as the general manager for the Canadian national team and as a consultant for the Golden State Warriors since retiring as a player in 2015. Even so, few could have guessed that he would be announced as the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets so soon into his post-playing career. His appointment was confirmed in September 2020, just before the start of the season.
Unfortunately, Nash took the helm during a difficult period for the team. One of the star players, Kyrie Irving, refused to get vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning he missed most of the season and drew bad press for the team. Iriving recently made headlines again for appearing to support an anti-Semitic film. There were also reports of tension between Nash and another key player, Kevin Durant, as it was alleged that Durant demanded Nash be fired during the summer of 2022. During his reign as head coach, the struggling team never made it past the second round.
On November 1, team manager Sean Marks released a statement revealing that Nash had agreed to part ways with the Brooklyn Nets. "This was an immensely difficult decision; however, after much deliberation and evaluation of how the season has begun, we agreed that a change is necessary at this time," the statement read. Marks expressed nothing but respect and appreciation for Nash and his work, and Nash responded in kind on social media. “It was a pleasure to work with the players, performance team and front office every day,” he posted. “I’m especially grateful to my coaching staff and video room who are a talented group with so much character and professionalism.”
It's unclear what the future holds for Nash and his career in sports. For a look back at his life and career so far, click through the gallery.