Nets head coach Steve Nash is adding a very familiar face to his bench. Nash’s longtime Suns running mate Amar’e Stoudemire will serve as an assistant coach on his former point guard’s staff, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium tweets.
Stoudemire, a hyper-athletic power forward, and Nash overlapped for six seasons in Phoenix, where they led the trailblazing offensive attack of the famous “Seven Seconds Or Less” Suns, the subject of a fascinating Jack McCallum behind-the-scenes book.
Charania adds in a separate tweet that Stoudemire will specialize in player development while in Brooklyn. Assuming All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving can remain healthy, the Nets look to be a formidable force in the East during the 2020/21 season.
Stoudemire joins former Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn on the bench. Assistant Adam Harrington appears likely to remain with the club for this new regime. Former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni, who coached Stoudemire on the Suns from 2003-08 (and both Stoudemire and Nash from 2004-08), has been floated as a potential addition to Nash’s staff as well.
A six-time All-Star with the Suns and Knicks, Stoudemire most recently played for Israeli basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv. He led the team to a 2020 title while winning the Israeli League Finals MVP award in the process in July.
Stoudemire last suited up in the NBA with the Heat for the 2015/16 season. He signed a contract with the Knicks after his stint in Miami was over to officially retire with New York. Since last playing in the NBA, Stoudemire also logged time in the CBA and in two separate stints for another Israeli basketball team, Hapoel Jerusalem.
5 Assistant Coaches?
Jacque Vaughn
Chris Fleming
Bret Brielmaier
Adam Harrington
Amare Stoudamire
Don’t smash any more glass holding fire extinguishers…
Shawn Marion could be next.
He won’t have to worry about that…he doesn’t have Melo’s excessive bricks to get under his skin this time.
Surprising that Stoudemire is considered coaching material, but maybe that’s just me.
So Amare will also be head coach of the day as well? good ol’ Kyrie logic.
Those Suns teams got me into basketball and is the reason I’m a suns fan. It’s gonna be so strange seeing those two on the sidelines as coaches
And Melo can be the waterboy
Interesting idea. I really don’t know much about his skills as they relate to coaching. In the past I would have liked to have seen what Kareem could have done as a regular assistant coach or head coach, and also (surprisingly) what Rick Barry could have done in the coaching field. I know he has a reputation, but would assume that he’s matured.
Longhair got some tall goggles.