What’s Happening in Brooklyn, New York is an Embarrassment to All of Basketball
The requests from Kevin Durant to have the team's coach and general manager fired. The on-again, off-again appearances of Kyrie Irving on the court last season. The trading of James Harden, the acquisition of Ben Simmons, and the continued drama around Simmons after the trade. The merciful firing of Steve Nash, and the hiring of Ime Udoka.
The Brooklyn Nets have descended into chaos and anarchy, the likes of which we haven't seen in New York sports in quite some time, if not ever.
Firing of Steve Nash Marks Latest Embarrassment for Brooklyn Nets
We'll start with the most recent news, otherwise known as the metaphorical cherry on top, which is that Steve Nash has been fired as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets after seven games in the 2022-23 season. Nash finishes his tenure in Brooklyn with a 94-67 regular season record, and seven wins in 16 playoff appearances.
Though he definitely didn't help the cause much, the issues in Brooklyn are far greater than anything Nash could've controlled.
The Brooklyn Nets have a fundamental problem with the culture that's been established in their organization, and firing one coach doesn't solve that issue. Your superstar player was actively trying to undermine your team leadership this offseason. Your other star was in a very public feud with New York City's mayor last year, and posted Anti-Semitic materials on social media this year.
Your team was a disaster on the court down the stretch last season, but after a full offseason and preseason to try to re-set things, you'd expect the Nets to come out motivated, and ready to win.
The opposite has happened, however, as you've stumbled to a 2-5 record, and have looked lifeless on the basketball court. So, you make the move that seemed to be increasingly obvious: fire head coach Steve Nash.
Now what?
Your response to that question, according to reports, is to hire Ime Udoka. Though he was successful as an assistant with Brooklyn two years ago, he was suspended by the Boston Celtics for an inappropriate relationship within the organization, and will be freely allowed to leave Boston should he be offered a new job.
The Boston Celtics are actively trying to remove personnel from their organization if they don't fit their culture. The Brooklyn Nets are so desperate, however, that they're willing to look past that in order to win basketball games.
It's no secret that professional sports teams often turn a blind eye to the personal lives of those who help them win, and make money. It's a dangerous game to play, however, as you can alienate thousands of fans from your organization if your "gamble" doesn't pay off.
The Brooklyn Nets are a mess, and bringing in Ime Udoka is a risk that I'm not sure is worth taking. The team is still a mess, the players likely aren't happy with their respective situations, and Udoka is nothing more than a Band-Aid, at best.
It's likely to get worse, before it gets better, in Brooklyn.