When he joined the Nets in September 2020, for his very first coaching experience, many saw him as the right pick, given the brilliant player he was.

Double MVP in 2005 and 2006 under the jersey of the Phoenix Suns, with a very high basketball IQ, he had to work wonders at the head of a team.

A fortiori the ambitious one from Brooklyn, self-proclaimed candidate for the title, with its stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

There was even good game, hype and glamor to expect from this association that was to crush everything in its path.

But it was nothing.

And after just seven matches to start the third campaign, the story has come to an abrupt end.

But predictably, given the 12th place position currently occupied by the Nets in the East, after five defeats and only two wins, the last of which on Monday night against Indiana (116-109) to the credit of Nash, whose balance sheet total is however positive (94-67).

He leaves with the heartfelt thanks of general manager Sean Marks, "for all he has brought to our team over the past two seasons. Personally, this decision has been extremely difficult to make; however, after extensive deliberation (.. .) we agreed that a change was needed".

Challenged by Durant

And for good reason: the two were put in the same boat of a dismissal demanded this summer by Kevin Durant, who conditioned their departure on his maintenance, after having asked to leave Brooklyn.

The owner Joe Tsai did not give in and the star lost these two standoffs, which nonetheless caused a big thunderclap.

Because the fact is that "KD" was just as frustrated by the two successive failures in the play-offs, in the 2021 Eastern Conference semi-finals (loss of a breath against Milwaukee, future champion) and in the 1st round this year ( sweep suffered against Boston), than by the inability of its leaders to retain James Harden.

"The Beard", (the bearded man) who was to complete the "big3", left for Philadelphia almost as quickly as he had arrived.

And the Nets welcomed in exchange Ben Simmons, unable to play basketball again, mentally affected after a conflict lasting several months at the Sixers.

If Nash and Durant finally left for a ride together, claiming to have turned the page, the contract of trust was inevitably broken.

The first also especially expressed his "gratitude" towards his "talented staff, for his professionalism" as well as his leaders, on Twitter.

"Steve has faced a number of unprecedented challenges, and we are sincerely grateful for his leadership, patience and humility throughout his tenure," Sean Marks said in return.

Recurring "Storms"

"I got to know Steve and he's not one to shy away from a challenge. My admiration and respect for him grew as he worked hard and had a positive attitude every day, even in the periods of exceptional storm crossed by the team", abounded Joe Tsai.

Brooklyn Nets coach and star Kevin Durant during a game against New Orleans on October 19, 2022 in New York Sarah Stier GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/Archives

He indeed had to manage in particular the episode of the non-vaccination of Kyrie Irving, who refuses to be vaccinated and missed many matches last season, which greatly penalized the team.

The star, regularly criticized for his positions deemed close to conspiracy theories, has in recent days added chaos to an already very tense context, by promoting, on his social networks, a film with anti-Semitic content.

Links he has since deleted.

If Joe Tsai had firmly condemned the player, Nash had lukewarmly tried to explain, Monday before facing Indiana, that "the Nets had an opportunity to grow" after this affair, without understanding the real scope of his thinking.

An intervention which illustrated the embarrassment and especially the increasingly unstable position of the 48-year-old Canadian, who will be replaced this Tuesday by his assistant Jacque Vaughn, against Chicago, while waiting for the Nets to find his successor.

© 2022 AFP