Interim Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn's players have been heavy in the news cycle of late, but the Barclays boss himself hasn't – until now.
Vaughn was a guest on YES Network's "YES We're Here" series on Wednesday night, talking to YES Nets reporter Michael Grady about a number of topics, including the current state of civil unrest in the country, the lightning rod that has been injured Nets guard Kyrie Irving, and the pending resumption of NBA play next month in Orlando.
.@BrooklynNets head coach Jacque Vaughn tells @Grady he's excited about the format the NBA has laid out for its return. #YESWereHere pic.twitter.com/HT1hVvDycQ
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 18, 2020On the first topic, Vaughn, who was born in Los Angeles and was in high school in Pasadena when riots broke out in 1992, contrasted the current civil unrest to that he witnessed first-hand nearly three decades ago, and realized how his perspective of the world has changed, but also helped him help his own children understand the magnitude of our time.
"It's been interesting. I have two teenage young men who are seeing this atmosphere for the first time, so it's been interesting having conversations with them, discussing language with them, discussing movies, terminology, things that we did not discuss at the dinner table earlier, but now we have been able to have those tough conversations," Vaughn told Grady. "(I have) very vivid memories (of the 1992 riots). I was a little older than my oldest son, still a teenager, and those memories are really still inside my head. The week after the Rodney King verdict, a lot of the places that I had grown up walking to – stores and establishments that were really native to my upbringing – weren't there anymore, and (that) left a lasting impression on me."
As for his current employer's response to the current climate?
"It's been huge, to be associated with an organization that from day one stepped up and was willing to have a conversation, tough conversation about what's going on in our society," Vaughn said, "as well as condemn the actions of our society but also continue the dialogue of improving where we are as a society."
Irving, one of the Nets' stars, has made more noise off the court this year than on, but Vaughn preferred to talk about the positives Kyrie brings on the hardwood even if he's not in uniform.
"He's a special individual; he really processes the game in a different way, sees it more globally," Vaughn said. "He's very intuitive to what's going on at the moment but can make adjustments, and at the same time is a good listener. So that combination from the point guard position is a luxury, for sure."
And, while neither Irving nor Kevin Durant are expected to suit up for the Nets once NBA play resumes this season, Vaughn is excited to finish out the season under whatever circumstances the league brings.
"I am excited about (the Orlando plan). I think it's a combination of March Madness, so it takes me back to my college days, and a little bit of a Summer League element, so you're going to have to be very flexible in your thought process," Vaughn said. "At the end of the day, though, we are getting back to competing, and so I am definitely looking forward to that."
