Kevin Durant awoke from a nap Tuesday afternoon, and before he could wipe the sleep from his eyes, saw that his team was out a head coach.
Steve Nash and the Nets parted ways before Tuesday’s loss to the Bulls, and Durant, despite reportedly requesting that the team move on from Nash if he was to revoke his trade request, said he was “shocked” to see the news.
“About 1:15, I woke up from a nap, turned to my right, and saw it on ESPN,” Durant said. “Shocked, you're always shocked when a move like this happens. But it's normal in the NBA…it’s a quick turnaround always in the league, especially during the season, so you can’t think too much about it. But it was on the mind for a little bit today.”
Still, Durant couldn’t hide the fact that Nash’s tenure, especially near the end, was filled with drama and skepticism, even from within, as players like Durant reportedly preferred a change. Ownership backed Nash and GM Sean Marks during the offseason when Durant’s trade request was still active, but in the end, decided to move on from Nash after a 2-5 start.
“Let’s be real, we’re pros,” Durant said. “We’re veterans. We had a tough start, it was a rocky year last year, a rocky summer. We knew that everybody was being evaluated. That’s just how it is in the league.
“I liked working with Steve and the coaching staff. It was a roller coaster the last few years, but the core of it, basketball, that’s something that we all love to do. Regardless of who’s the coach or the circumstances, still gotta come to work. I enjoyed coming to work with Steve.”
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