The Brooklyn Nets continued their drama-filled season on Tuesday with the franchise deciding to part ways with head coach Steve Nash.
Later Tuesday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacted to the news prior to his team facing off against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena.
"Steve Nash is a good friend of mine, so more than anything I feel for Steve," Kerr said. "I think he has all the qualities to be a brilliant coach. Brilliant."
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Nash, 48, was a two-time NBA MVP and was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Ahead of the 2015-16 NBA season, he took his first coaching job when he joined the Warriors as a consultant. In his second season with Golden State, he won his first championship after falling short in his 18-year playing career.
The Nets surprised the basketball world when they named Nash their next head coach in September 2020. With Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and eventually James Harden, Nash's job came with sky-high expectations. He didn't meet them in his short time as head coach, but many of his obstacles were out of his hands.
To Kerr, Nash's parting with the Nets was yet another eye-opener for him and coaches around the league.
"It's a good reminder to me, and I think all coaches, that we are at the whim of players, front offices, ownership -- you really need a solid situation in which to thrive as a coach in this league," Kerr said. "Erik [Spoelstra's] got one here, I've got one in Golden State. We're really lucky.
Golden State Warriors
"You throw either one of us in that situation, we wouldn't have done any better than Steve. And that's the truth. So as a really good friend of mine, I feel bad for Steve. But I also know if he ever wants to get back in this thing, he can be great.
"He just needs a more stable environment."
The Nets were 2-5 this season, and Nash finished his Nets coaching career with a 94-67 regular-season record. He also was 7-9 in the playoffs as Brooklyn's head coach. The numbers don't tell the whole story in this situation.
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Kyrie Irving played in only 29 regular-season games last season after refusing to be vaccinated during the COVID-19 global pandemic and missed multiple games the season before to injuries. He recently found himself in the news for the wrong reasons again after promoting an antisemitic documentary and "New World Order" conspiracy theories.
Over the offseason, Durant requested a trade and reportedly gave the Nets' front office an ultimatum to either pick him or Nash.
Durant and Irving only played 64 games together. The duo played just 16 games with Harden after trading for him in January of 2021, and Ben Simmons, who the Nets acquired this past February after trading Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, didn't play a single game for the Nets last season.
Nash's set of circumstances couldn't have been more tumultuous, and it's clear he has Kerr in his corner if the former NBA superstar point guard wants to give coaching a go again.