Former Nets Asst. Amar’e Stoudemire: Kevin Durant, Steve Nash are ‘Egoless’

Former Nets assistant coach Amar’e Stoudemire recently joined SiriusXM NBA Radio to discuss the ongoing situation involving coach Steve Nash and player Kevin Durant.

The recent report of Durant’s ultimatum he gave to Nets owner Joe Tsai to chose between him or GM Sean Marks and Nash while the forward was feeling out potential trade packages seemed to show a wedge in the relationship between the player and coach.

Durant had requested a trade from the team on June 30 before ultimately deciding to return to Brooklyn on Aug. 23.

Well, Nash remains as the head coach, so Stoudemire, who worked as an assistant from October 2020 to May ’22, was asked what the relationship must be like between the two parties now.

“It’s always been ups and downs with coaches and star players throughout the history of the game of basketball,” Stoudemire said. “I think what they both will probably end up doing is having a conversation to try to hash it all out, and figure out a way to co-exist to compete for a championship.

“Both of those guys are egoless,” Stoudemire continued. “Steve was an egoless player. Kevin Durant is also an egoless player. He wants to win. He wants to make his teammates better. So, I think with those two guys who have that type of mentality and personality, it’ll work out for them.”

The Nets were swept in the first round in the playoffs last season to eventual 2022 NBA runners-up, the Celtics. 

Durant won two NBA titles with the Warriors in 2017 and ‘18, winning earned two Finals MVP awards. Since joining the Nets in ’19, Brooklyn has only made it to the conference semifinals once (2021). Needless to say, Durant is still looking for another championship to add to his resume.