Brooklyn Nets: Mike D'Antoni to reunite with Steve Nash as assistant coach
Mike D'Antoni, who recently left the Houston Rockets after four seasons in charge, will reunite with Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash, who played under him with the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers
Friday 30 October 2020 23:29, UK
Former Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni will reunite with Steve Nash as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets confirmed on Friday that D'Antoni will serve as Nets assistant coach under Nash, who won two Most Valuable Player awards while playing point guard for D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns in the mid-2000s.
The Nets hired Nash, 46, in September shortly before D'Antoni stepped down after four seasons as head coach of the Rockets.
Brooklyn have also added long-time San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ime Udoka to Nash's staff, which already includes associate head coach Jacque Vaughn.
"We've assembled an experienced staff of high-character individuals with varied backgrounds, both on and off the court, that will help create a solid foundation for me and our players," said Nash.
"When I set out to build this staff, I wanted to put together a committed group that would connect with our players and help put them in the best position to succeed as a team. With coaching and playing experience at the highest level and a deep background in player development, I'm confident that we've put the right people in place to lead us forward."
Nash played four seasons for D'Antoni in Phoenix (2004-05 to 2007-08), operating a fast-paced offense that led to back-to-back MVP awards, two 60-win campaigns and four playoff berths.
He also played the last two seasons of his Hall of Fame career for D'Antoni with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
D'Antoni, 69, owns a 672-527 (.560) record in 16 seasons as a head coach with the Denver Nuggets (1998-99), Suns (2003-08), New York Knicks (2008-12), Lakers (2012-14) and Rockets. He was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2004-05 and 2016-17.
Led by All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving and four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant, the Nets are expected to vie for an NBA championship in the upcoming season.
