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The first episode of Kevin Durant’s podcast, “The ETCs with Kevin Durant,” caught everyone’s attention — because Kyrie Irving was the forward’s first guest.
The Nets point guard made more than a few headlines with his comments on Durant’s show. What seems to have stuck more than anything else are Irving’s remarks about Brooklyn’s coaching situation:
“I was the first … well, he said I was the first person to call him Coach Nash, but I call him Steve,” the point guard said. “Steve is great, and I have a relationship with him that’s going to build over time, bro. Steve don’t know me from anything he heard or he’s heard someone else. We’ve worked out one time in 2014, but it’s grown as just a respectful relationship from afar. I saw him at the Hall of Fame two years ago, gave him a big hug and now he’s the head coach.
“And I think it’s also going to change the way we see coaches. I don’t really see us having a head coach. You know what I mean? KD could be a head coach. I could be a head coach.”
Steve Nash addressed those comments publicly for the first time on Tuesday when he was asked about them on a Zoom call with reporters.
The Nets head coach first joked about the question, then gave his assessment:
“I read what he said, and I think it was one phrase at the end of a bunch of things he said about being excited — about having me in this position and coaching — and then maybe taken to another level that seemed incredible in headlines, which is fine,” Nash said. “I’m in a fortunate position where I get to coach Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. What we’ve dealt here in a short period of time with how we’re going to prep and play is exciting. I’m thrilled to get to coach those guys.
“One statement that I don’t think necessarily was completely — wasn’t meant the way it was taken by the press, that doesn’t bother me at all.”