Amid the scrutiny of Kyrie Irving’s promotion of an antisemitic movie and book, the Nets made a stunner of a move Tuesday by parting ways with head coach Steve Nash. The team is also close to replacing Nash with embattled former Celtics coach Ime Udoka. Such a headline-grabbing move caught everybody in the NBA world by surprise, including Brooklyn star forward Kevin Durant.
When did Durant find out about the news? Right after, as it turns out, his afternoon nap.
“About 1:15, I woke up from my nap, turned to the right and seen it on ESPN,” Durant said. He was then asked what his initial reaction to the move was.
“Shocked. I mean, you’re always shocked when a move like this happens, but it’s normal in the NBA,” Durant continued. “It’s about getting ready for the game tonight. It’s a quick turnaround always, in the league, especially during the season when you’ve got practice and games coming up. So you can’t think too much about it, but it was on my mind for a little bit today.”
Nash’s firing came just before Brooklyn’s 108-99 loss to the Bulls Tuesday, which dropped the team to 2-6 on the young season. Beyond the Irving debacle, the team is in a state of disarray in the wake of Durant’s offseason trade request followed by a disastrous start to the year.
Durant finished Tuesday’s game with 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 8-for-17 shooting, while Irving shot 2-for-12 from the field with four points and seven assists.
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