Head Coach Steve Nash and Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets talk during their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center on November 17, 2021 in New York City. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash said Tuesday there’s no bad blood between him and Kevin Durant heading into the 2022-23 season.
After getting swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the offseason was anything but quiet for the Nets. Durant requested a trade in late June, but then told Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai in early August that he’d consider staying if Nash and general manager Sean Marks were fired.
Durant ended up staying with the Nets, and, well, everyone still has their jobs.
“We’re fine,” Nash said following Brooklyn’s practice on Tuesday. “Ever since we talked, it’s been like nothing’s changed. I have a long history with Kevin. I love the guy. Families have issues. We had a moment and it’s behind us. That’s what happens. It’s a common situation in the league.”
Nash never really bought into the reports that the 12-time All-Star actually wanted him out as head coach.
“I never thought that was 100 percent,” Nash said. “There was a lot of things. It’s not black and white like that, so there was a lot of factors. A lot of things behind the scenes. A lot of things reported are not accurate.
“I’m going to hear it from Kevin when the time is right. I’m going to talk to Sean, I’m going to talk to all the parties involved. So you just work through it step by step. You don’t overreact. We stay calm and work on communication and facts and here we are.”
Durant, who turns 34 Thursday, is entering his 15th NBA season. He averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists last season in 55 games (all starts).
In 939 career games (936 starts), Durant has averaged 27.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists while spending time with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors and Nets.
Brooklyn opens its season October 19 at home against the New Orleans Pelicans.