Former Nets' Head Coach 'Hadn't Planned' for 'Unique Situation' in Brooklyn

The two-time MVP reflected on his short coaching stint.

Oct 27, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash coaches against the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Nash, as a rookie head coach, was tasked with leading a superteam that boasted three of the NBA's most polarizing personalities.

The two-year experiment with the Brooklyn Nets appears to have been more than enough for the 50-year-old, who doesn't have any desire to return to the sideline anytime soon. While in attendance for Goran Dragic's farewell game in Slovenia, Nash addressed his tenure publicly for the first time.

"Coaching was a great experience," He told Eurohoops' Cesare Milanti. "I didn't want to be a career coach. I don't think coaching was about to be my career. I'm coaching my kids, teaching them life. I earned the opportunity to choose, and that's rewarding. There are always projects, affiliates, and partnerships. I always have something going on. I'm focused on my family."

"I hadn't planned to coach -- there was a unique situation in Brooklyn that knocked on my door," Nash continued. "It was a quick transition. You deal with a different dynamic. A lot of it is managing personalities between front offices, players and agents. That's a huge component of my job. All the dynamics, personalities and power that the players hold nowadays."

The star-studded cast of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden never truly meshed, leading to the splitting of the big-three and parting ways with Nash.

"I wanted to connect with every player individually. It's important to build a culture and an environment where people believe and see them be their best. You need to feel that you want them to become the best version of themselves."

Brooklyn has been amid an identity crisis since before Nash took over, an issue that many are optimistic will be solved with new head coach Jordi Fernandez.

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