Steve Nash Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Nash, Petrovic, Campazzo, Olympics

August 25th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Arthur Hill

Steve Nash isn’t looking to return to coaching after his experience in Brooklyn, writes Mindaugas Bertys of BasketNews. Nash was somewhat of a surprising hire when the Nets tabbed him to be their head coach in 2020, overseeing a team that expected to contend for a title with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He compiled a 94-67 record in a little more than two years, but parted ways with the organization early in the 2022/23 season after the team got off to a 2-5 start.

“Coaching was a great experience for me and my family. I didn’t want to be a career coach. I just wanted to help that project,” Nash said during an appearance Saturday at Goran Dragic‘s farewell game. “I don’t feel like coaching is necessarily in my future. I’m very focused at this time on having as big an impact on my kids as possible.”

With five children, Nash told reporters that his duties as a father are his top priority. He compared the experience to being an “Uber driver,” but added that he hasn’t fully removed himself from basketball.

“At this stage of my life, it has been really rewarding,” Nash said. “That’s really where my focus is, but there are always projects, affiliations and partnerships, and things that are interesting, so I always have something going on.”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Several current and former NBA players will take part in an exhibition game to honor the memory of Drazen Petrovic, per Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops. The event will take place September 5 in Zagreb to celebrate the legacy of the Croatian star, who was one of the first European players to make an impact in the NBA before he died in an auto accident in 1993. Bojan Bogdanovic, Dario Saric, Ivica Zubac, Damjan Rudez and Gordan Giricek are among the players scheduled to participate.
Facundo Campazzo, who spent three seasons with Denver and Dallas, talked to BasketNews about the differences between the NBA and international basketball and shared some advice he got from Nikola Jokic when he joined the Nuggets in 2020. “He came up to me and said, ‘Forget about everything you learned in FIBA basketball all these years. This is a different sport’ — and it was just like that,” Campazzo recalled. “It’s another way of facing the season, another way of practicing, of playing — also because the rules are different, the game is played in a different way. In fact, Jokic was the point guard. So I had to reinvent my way of playing, but he helped me a lot, it makes you a better player.”
Netflix will air a documentary series next year focusing on the 2024 Olympic basketball competition, according to BasketNews. The IOC granted unlimited access to camera crews throughout the qualification process and the games in France.

Nets Notes: Fernandez, Nash, Bogdanovic, Nicholas

August 24th, 2024 at 11:54am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Nets brought in a rookie head coach this offseason in Jordi Fernandez. Fernandez is known for his defensive coaching abilities and player development, but as Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes in a subscriber-only article, he’s planning to increase the offensive tempo for his team.

“I think the main part is playing fast, playing confident,” Jalen Wilson said of Fernandez’s coaching philosophy. “Not being out there settling and not being unsure of anything. But everything at full speed and understanding that you’ve got to attack in everything … whether it’s shooting, dribbling, finding the open teammate, running down the floor sprinting to the corner, those different things.”

The Nets pivoted into a full-fledged rebuild this offseason by moving Mikal Bridges, and they’ll extend minutes to their younger players like Wilson, Noah Clowney, Day’Ron Sharpe, Cam Thomas and more.

“We want to play fast, want to play hard,” Clowney said. “We want to be disruptive. We know we’ve got to be a great defensive team if we want any shot at winning games, and that’s just the reality of it. Nobody’s got to sugarcoat that for us. We understand that.”

We have more from the Nets:

Speaking to reporters ahead of Goran Dragic‘s farewell game, former Nets head coach Steve Nash spoke on his Brooklyn experience, per Eurohoops.net. Nash said the opportunity in Brooklyn was a unique situation but that he didn’t see himself on the bench long-term. “Coaching was a great experience, [but] I didn’t want to be a career coach,” Nash said. “I don’t think coaching was about to be my career.“
Four months after requiring wrist surgery, Bojan Bogdanovic is set to be a part of an exhibition game on Sept. 5 in Croatia in honor of Drazen Petrovic. Both Bogdanovic and Petrovic played for the Croatian national team and for the Nets. As Net Income of NetsDaily observes, Bogdanovic’s participation in the event is an indication that he’ll be ready to go for training camp this fall.
The Nets have hired Drew Nicholas to their scouting department, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Nicholas was the director of scouting for the Nuggets over the past two years.

Stars To Participate In Farewell Game For Goran Dragic

August 17th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

A farewell game will take place August 24 to honor Goran Dragic, who announced his retirement at the end of December, according to BasketNews.

Titled “The Night of the Dragon,” the game will be played at Stozice Arena in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Two teams will be drafted during a charity gala dinner the night before. The game is sponsored by the Goran Dragic Foundation, and tickets sold out within 20 minutes.

Among the current and former players scheduled to participate are Steve Nash, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Dirk Nowitzki, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Luis Scola, Dejan Bodiroga, Predrag Danilovic, Nikola Vucevic and Rasho Nesterovic. Chris Bosh, Dragic’s former teammate in Miami, will attend the event but won’t play.

BasketNews reports that Jimmy Butler was originally set to appear, but had to cancel due to a commitment in China.

Dragic, 38, appeared in 946 games with seven teams during his 15 NBA seasons. He was named Most Improved Player during the 2013/14 season and was selected to the All-Star Game in 2017/18.

He’s also a Slovenian basketball legend, leading the nation to its first EuroBasket title in 2017 while earning Most Valuable Player honors for the tournament.

Community Shootaround: Best Point Guard Ever

August 26th, 2023 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry isn’t reluctant to stake his claim as one of the best point guards in NBA history. The Warriors star put himself in elite company during a recent appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast.

“It’s me and Magic (Johnson), is that the conversation? Obviously, I have to answer that way,” Curry said in response to a question from Arenas. “Magic’s resume is ridiculous. So the fact that we’re having that conversation, that’s the place I never thought I’d be in.”

Both players are obviously on the short list of legendary point guards. They amassed a wealth of titles and individual honors throughout their careers, and both significantly changed the way the game is played.

Curry is a four-time champion, a two-time scoring leader, a nine-time All-Star and a two-time MVP who was the first player in league history to win the award in a unanimous vote. He has 21,712 career points, 5,740 assists and a record 3,390 three-pointers, and at age 35 he still has time to add to those numbers.

Johnson was among the most dynamic players of the 1980s and the catalyst for the “Showtime” Lakers. He was an All-Star in 10 of his first 11 seasons, missing only because of injury, before HIV forced him into his first retirement in 1991. He won five titles, three MVP awards and three Finals MVP honors. With 17,707 career points and 10,141 assists, Johnson was voted onto the league’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.

While Curry and Johnson are strong candidates, there are plenty of others to consider:

In the 1960s and early ’70s, Oscar Robertson was routinely putting up triple-doubles before it was celebrated as a stat. The 1964 MVP spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Royals before winning his only NBA title with the Bucks in 1971. He was an All-Star in his first 12 NBA seasons, being named MVP of the game three times, and was a nine-time first-team All-NBA selection.
Lakers star Jerry West was a contemporary of Robertson’s and his rival as the best guard in the game at the time. West was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons and was an All-NBA selection 12 times. He was named Finals MVP in 1969 even though the Lakers lost the series, then won his only championship in 1972.
John Stockton is the NBA’s career leader in assists with 15,806 and led the league in that category for nine straight seasons. The 10-time All-Star is also the league’s all-time steals champ with 3,265 and was named to the All-Defensive Team five times. He spent his entire 19-year career with the Jazz and remained productive through age 40.
Isiah Thomas led the “Bad Boy” Pistons to titles in 1989 and 1990 at a time when the Lakers and Celtics were dominating the league. The 12-time All-Star was named Finals MVP in 1990 and twice captured All-Star MVP honors.
Chris Paul is the only active point guard with a resume similar to Curry’s, although without a similar level of playoff success. A 12-time All-Star, Paul led the NBA in assists five times and in steals six times. He’s an 11-time All-NBA and nine-time All-Defensive Team selection.
Steve Nash is a two-time MVP who also revolutionized the game with his accomplishments in Phoenix. An eight-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA selection, he reached the 50-40-90 club as a shooter four times in his career.

There are many more to consider, such as Bob Cousy, Walt Frazier, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Nate Archibald, Pete Maravich and others, and we could go on much longer about their place in the history of the league. But we want to get your opinion. Who’s really the best point guard that has ever played? Please leave your response in the space below.

Atlantic Notes: Harden, Nash, Fernandez, Raptors’ Draft, Simmons

June 6th, 2023 at 5:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

James Harden‘s free agency will likely come down to re-signing with the Sixers or signing up for a second stint with the Rockets, Shams Charania of The Athletic said on the Ryen Russillo podcast (hat tip to RealGM). Harden is expected to decline his $35.64MM option.

“I really think he’s torn with the prospect of staying in Philadelphia or moving on to Houston potentially and returning back to his home,” Charania said. “That’s where his roots are and his family there, of course. They (the Rockets) have got upwards of $60 million (in cap space). They can make even more money available. Close to $70 million in cap space.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

As of Monday, neither former Nets coach Steve Nash nor Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez had been invited for a second interview for the Raptors head coaching job, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. However, the front office is taking its time on hiring Nick Nurse’s replacement, so they could eventually be called in for another interview. There’s no immediate need to fill the position, since assistant GM and VP of player personnel Dan Tolzman and his staff are handling draft preparations.
Speaking of the Raptors’ draft, they hold the No. 13 pick in the first round. Eric Koreen of The Athletic discusses a handful of candidates they could consider at that spot, with Michigan’s Kobe Bufkin and Kansas’ Gradey Dick viewed as the best fits if they’re still available, since the shooting guard position is in flux.
The Nets’ Ben Simmons posted a couple of workout images on social media, indicating that he has moved from rehab and recovery to getting back on the court, Nets Daily relays. Simmons didn’t play after Feb. 15 due to a nerve impingement in his back. He could be added to Australia’s roster for the FIBA World Cup if he’s healthy enough to play later this summer.

Raptors Notes: Nash, Hammon, Williams, Griffin, Offseason Approach

May 23rd, 2023 at 8:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Steve Nash, who interviewed for the Raptors’ head coaching vacancy, may be a better fit for Toronto than he was in Brooklyn, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. With the Nets, Nash was swallowed up by the superstars and their egos. Nash, who was known during his playing career as one of the all-time great teammates, could see his leadership qualities prove more effective in Toronto with a team that lacked cohesion throughout the season, Koreen writes.

We have more on the Raptors:

It doesn’t appear Becky Hammon will make history with the Raptors. The Las Vegas Aces head coach did not formally interview with Toronto’s brass, though there were conversations, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca reports. There was a general sense that Hammon wasn’t in a rush to leave her current job.
Former Suns head coach Monty Williams is on the Raptors’ radar, Grange adds in the same story, and long-time assistant coach Adrian Griffin remains the leading internal candidate. Griffin is also a finalist for the Bucks’ head coaching job.
The Raptors are wise to take their time and look at a wide variety of candidates, Koreen opines. Toronto isn’t in the same spot as the Bucks and Sixers, who are looking for a coach to quickly guide them to a championship. The Raptors can afford to explore a wider range of options and search for an open-minded coach, who could inherit most of the current roster or find himself running a team that’s been completely revamped.
Along those same lines, Blake Murphy of Sportnet said this offseason could go any number of ways. While the simplest outcome is for the Raptors to retain their free agents, unload some salary and use cap exceptions for upgrades, it’s also possible there could be significant roster changes.

Coaching Rumors: Mazzulla, Bucks, Williams, Suns, Raptors, Nash

May 23rd, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics staffers, including president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, have shown “unwavering support” this season for head coach Joe Mazzulla, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says the sentiment as recently as last week was that Mazzulla would get plenty of runway to continue growing into the role he was thrust into following Ime Udoka‘s suspension last fall.

While it’s possible the Celtics could have a change of heart and decide to make a coaching change if the team is eliminated from the postseason in embarrassing fashion on Tuesday – or in the coming days – it would be a “stark change of direction” from the team’s original plan, Fischer writes.

While Fischer considers it unlikely that Mazzulla is replaced this offseason, he suggests that the Celtics’ coaching staff could undergo some significant changes, with multiple current assistants considered candidates to join Udoka with the Rockets. Frank Vogel and Stephen Silas are among the former head coaches who have been linked to the Celtics as possible assistant coach targets, Fischer notes.

Here’s more on the NBA’s coaching carousel from Fischer:

With the Bucks still focused on contending for championships with rosters built around Giannis Antetokounmpo, there’s some skepticism that Adrian Griffin – the only one of their three finalists without previous head coaching experience – will ultimately claim that job. However, Fischer acknowledges that Griffin has “certainly impressed” Bucks management during the interview process. Milwaukee’s search is expected to conclude this week, Fischer reports.
Many people around the league thought Monty Williams would be a serious candidate for the Bucks‘ coaching job and were surprised that he wasn’t a finalist in that process, per Fischer. The Pistons registered some interest in Williams, but he doesn’t appear to be in the mix for that job either and seems likely to take next season off, Fischer adds. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic also said Williams may not coach anywhere in 2023/24, which shouldn’t come as a surprise — he’s still owed $21MM by Phoenix, so it’s not as if he needs to rush into another position.
Former Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers is expected to receive consideration from the Suns, but Mike Budenholzer isn’t viewed as a likely candidate for Phoenix, Fischer writes.
The Raptors continue to take their time with their head coaching search, bringing back several candidates – including Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez and Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic – for second interviews, says Fischer. Many of the team’s initial meetings took place on Zoom, according to Fischer, who identifies Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as a name to watch in Toronto’s search.
Steve Nash, who interviewed for the Raptors’ vacancy, is “determined to learn from his shortcomings” following his first coaching stint in Brooklyn and has a strong desire to earn another head coaching job at some point, Fischer writes.

Steve Nash Interviewed For Raptors’ Coaching Job

May 22nd, 2023 at 1:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Former Nets head coach Steve Nash interviewed for the Raptors‘ head coaching vacancy, according to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Nets went 94-67 (.584) in Nash’s two-plus regular seasons at the helm, including a 7-9 (.438) record in the postseason. He was fired following a 2-5 start to the 2022/23 season.

An eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA member, five-time assist leader and a two-time league MVP as a player, Nash was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. The 49-year-old also claimed a spot on the 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, earning recognition as one of the greatest players in league history.

Nash, who is Canadian, also played for — and was previously the general manager of — the country’s men’s national team. Obviously, that’s noteworthy due to Toronto being the lone NBA team located in Canada.

After his NBA playing days ended, Nash became a part-time consultant for the Warriors. He had no previous coaching experience prior to being named head coach of the Nets in 2020, so it was a surprising hire.

Brooklyn finished as the No. 2 seed in the East in Nash’s first season at the helm in ’20/21, losing a second-round playoff series to the eventual champion Bucks in seven games. The Nets went 44-38 in ’21/22 and entered the postseason as the No. 7 seed after a controversy- and injury-filled season. They were swept in the first round by the Celtics, who went on to make the Finals.

As Charania notes, the Raptors have undertaken an expansive search for a new head coach after firing Nick Nurse, who is now a finalist for the Bucks’ vacancy. According to our tracker, Nash is the 13th candidate either expected to or confirmed to have met with the team.

Nets’ Vaughn, Pelicans’ Green Named Coaches Of The Month

January 3rd, 2023 at 10:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets‘ Jacque Vaughn and Pelicans‘ Willie Green were named as Coaches of the Month for their respective conferences, the league’s PR department tweets.

Vaughn earned Eastern Conference honors by guiding his club to a 12-1 record in December. Vaughn was named Brooklyn’s head coach on Nov. 9 after Steve Nash‘s early exit. Cleveland’s J.B. Bickerstaff, Indiana’s Rick Carlisle, Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley and Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers were the other nominees, the league’s PR department adds in a separate tweet.

Green, in his second season as head coach, took Western Conference honors by leading New Orleans to a 10-5 record last month. Memphis’ Taylor Jenkins, Dallas’ Jason Kidd and Denver’s Michael Malone were the other Western Conference nominees.

Kevin Durant Talks Offseason Trade Request, Nets, Legacy, More

November 16th, 2022 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have had an up-and-down first month of the 2022/23 season and are in the midst of another downturn right now, having given up 153 points to the Kings in a blowout loss on Tuesday.

Still, Kevin Durant tells Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report that he likes the energy new head coach Jacque Vaughn has brought to the team. According to Durant, the Nets have been “preparing ourselves well” for games, “playing as hard as we can,” and are starting to build real chemistry.

In Durant’s view, the way the Nets are readying themselves for games under Vaughn is how the team should have been approaching its preparation last season. That was the primary reason the star forward requested a trade in the summer, he told Haynes.

“It wasn’t difficult at all to request a trade because it was about ball,” Durant said. “I went to them and was like, ‘Yo, I don’t like how we are preparing. I don’t like shootarounds. I like practices. I need more. I want to work on more s–t. Hold me accountable. Get on my ass in film if that’s going to help you get on everybody else’s head. I want to do more closeouts. I want to work on more shell drills at practice.’

“This was the type of s–t I was coming at them with. It wasn’t like, ‘Yo, y’all need to make sure everybody around me can make my life easier.’ Hell nah, I want to make everybody else’s life easier. Ask Steve Nash, you can go call him right now. I would say, ‘Yo, I need more closeout drills. We need to practice more.’ That’s what I was on.

“I wasn’t feeling that, and nobody was on that same vibe with me. Jacque Vaughn is. I had some complaints in the summer, and my complaints were not about just me; it was about how we are moving as a unit. I want us to be respected out here in the basketball world. I don’t want players to look at us and say, ‘Oh man, these (expletive) are full of s–t. That’s not the type of team I want to be on.’ So when we’re all playing like s–t, you know the one person they’re going to look at. That’s why I requested a trade.”

Durant opened up to both Haynes and Marc J. Spears of Andscape on Tuesday about a number of topics beyond his offseason trade request. Both interviews are worth checking out in full, but here are some of the highlights from the former MVP:

On the Nets’ lineup with Kyrie Irving unavailable and Ben Simmons struggling to regain his old form:

“Look at our starting lineup. Edmond Sumner, Royce O’Neale, Joe Harris, (Nic) Claxton and me. It’s not disrespect, but what are you expecting from that group? You expect us to win because I’m out there. So if you’re watching from that lens, you’re expecting us to play well because No. 7 is out there.”

On the perception that he’s not a true leader:

“I’m not a leader? What the f–k does that mean? A lot of people say I’m not a leader because I didn’t tell Kyrie to get vaccinated. Come on. Or I didn’t condemn Kyrie for leaving the team, going out and living his life. I’m not about to tell a grown-ass man what he can and can’t do with his own life and dissect his views or how he thinks about s–t.

“… I don’t need to show or tell everybody what I’m doing with my teammates so y’all can pump me up and say, ‘Yeah, KD, you’re the boss, you’re the leader.’ These other (expletives) need that. I don’t. I don’t come to you and say, ‘Haynes, write this story about me.’ I don’t do that to nobody. But I come here and respect y’all. I talk to y’all like a real one, even after a blowout (loss).”

On whether he’s happy in Brooklyn:

“I’m incredible. Loving life right now. I don’t think the world understands that. Maybe I need to get miked up more. Maybe I need to have more fluff pieces written about me. Smile more in pictures.

“What’s not to love about this life? I’m a great player. I get up to go hoop every day, work on my game. I make a s–t ton of money. I buy a lot of cool s–t. I don’t understand why there’s even a question on whether I’m happy or not. I just look at the big picture of things. Obviously, basketball, I want to do well, win every game and I want s–t to be perfect. But that doesn’t mean my whole life is f—ed up.”

On his legacy as a player:

“All that extra s–t like, ‘You got to win before you retire and make sure your legacy is straight,’ that’s bulls–t to me. My legacy is predicated on what Cam Thomas is learning from me and what he’ll take away to help him by the time he’s in his 10th year. That’s my legacy. What I did with Andre Roberson, the confidence I helped him build when he was in the league. That’s my legacy. Being able to play with Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry and Kyrie and still be me. Yeah, that’s my legacy. That’s who I am. That’s what I bring to the game.

“I can play with anybody, anywhere, at any time, and you know I’m going bring it every day. That should be my legacy.”