The life of a coach of a “superteam” is not always a long quiet river. And Steve Nash would not say otherwise. Today, far from the NBA courts, Steve Nash had to face the rebellion of his two stars at the Nets, when Kevin Durant asked for his head in the summer of 2022, then when Kyrie Irving no longer executed his systems. As a result, he was fired after only seven games at the start of the 2022/23 season.
At the time, Steve Nash came to the Nets with no bench experience and wasn't really preparing for the job of a coach.
“I didn't plan on becoming a coach, there was a unique situation in Brooklyn knocking on my door”, Nash remembers. “It was a quick transition. You have to deal with a different dynamic. A lot of it is managing the personalities, between the front offices, the players and the agents. It’s a big part of my job to manage all the dynamics, the personalities and the power that the players have today.”
After taking over as head coach of the Nets, the two-time MVP quickly became disillusioned with the reality of the head coach role within the locker room.
“I was surprised when I was coaching, because I wasn't really in the team”admits Steve Nash. “You have five minutes with the players before the game, at half-time and after the game. Those are the only times you address the team.”
Communication, the key to success
Especially since for his first coaching experience, Nash hoped to focus on the relationship with the players in order to build their confidence and get the best out of his players. For the eight-time All-Star, communication was supposed to help unlock individual potential.
“I wanted to connect with every player. It’s important to build a culture and an environment where people believe in themselves and give their best. They have to feel that you want them to give their best,” considers the former Suns player. “The most important thing is to be honest with the players, you can do it in different ways. It is important to be clear and honest with the players so that they do not feel doubts. Communication is the key.”
While learning on the job, the Canadian coach also faced the difference between leading his team on the field and being a leader from the bench.
“For me, the easiest thing was to feel comfortable in my role as a leader and to lead by example. Which is actually difficult from a coaching perspective, because it’s a totally different kind of leadership. When you coach, you have to lead in small bursts,” says Nash.
