WARRIORS PRACTICE FACILITY, OAKLAND, CA — Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has spent a lot of time with Steve Nash, who was confirmed by the team as their new part-time player development coach.
In April of 2004, Kerr acquired part-ownership of the Phoenix Suns as part of Robert Sarver‘s group that bought the team from Jerry Colangelo. Later that summer, Nash was re-acquired by the Suns, who had drafted him in 1996.
Kerr eventually became the general manager there, stepping down in 2010 but still retaining his ownership position, while Nash won two Most Valuable Player awards with the team, then finally left for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012. Nash retired in October of last year as a member of the Lakers.
Per Marc Stein of ESPN:
The parties, sources said, are in the process of finalizing a deal that essentially will make Nash an occasional tutor to the Golden State guards. Kerr, (Chief Operating Officer Rick) Welts and current Warriors player development coach Bruce Fraser — all of whom worked closely with the 41-year-old Nash when he was playing in Phoenix — are among Nash’s closest friends in the league and ultimately persuaded him to consider joining the NBA reigning champions as a part-timer.
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While out injured last season, Nash did similar work with Los Angeles Lakers youngster Jordan Clarkson and, sources say, has likewise worked out this summer with a variety of guards around the league: Jeremy Lin, Dante Exum, Kemba Walker and C.J. McCollum.
The move appears to have been spearheaded by Kerr and not so much by general manager Bob Myers, for example. Myers was not even quite sure of Nash’s impending schedule as part-time coach.
“I don’t know, I’ll defer to Steve (Kerr),” Myers told reporters at media availability two days ago. “They’ve got a great connection.”
That great connection — as well as good timing — may have helped Kerr pluck Nash away from such obvious employers as the Lakers or the Suns.
Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports tweeted that both teams had also made offers to Nash, but Nash replied to Spears, “after I’d already agreed with the Warriors.”
“When I approached him about this,” Kerr said, “first thing I told him was, ‘You need your freedom. You just retired. The last thing you need is to be on a staff somewhere. What you need is to be able to pack up on a moment’s notice and take a trip somewhere, because you haven’t been able to do that in twenty years, but if you want to be a part of what we’re doing and you can come up here three or four days a month, work with our guys, that’d be awesome.”
Kerr said he looked forward to Nash working specifically with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Harrison Barnes.
“He’ll be welcome anytime,” said Myers. “We’re never gonna kick him out the door if he wants to come to practice or come to every shoot around.”
Per Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area:
The desire is for Nash, with his feel for the game, to help Thompson stay engaged, showing him a variety of ways to be productive when his shot is not falling.
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Barnes is a talented forward with a tendency to disappear in plain sight, playing at star level one game, only to submit zeros the next. Why? No coach thus far has been able eliminate those blank spaces.
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Nash, 41, might be able to help unlock that mystery.
As Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reported:
“I think Steve is the most innovative athlete I’ve ever seen, when it comes to pursuing greatness – whether it’s conditioning, basketball drills, whatever,” Kerr said. “He’s got an amazing feel for the game and an amazing mind. Steve was the most efficient player I’ve ever been around, and my hope is that he can make our guys more efficient.”
In fact, Nash has already worked with Thompson, twice. Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group interviewed Thompson recently:
“It’s pretty surreal, especially to see how good a shape he’s still in. And just his mind for the game. He’s got so much knowledge. You think you know everything about shooting, but there’s so much little technical stuff that he knows that’s going to help me. I’m just really excited to work with him.” [– Thompson]
When asked if Nash had any aspirations to become a full-time coach at one point, Kerr said not necessarily.
“He’s got so many things going on, I’m not sure that he wants the day-to-day grind,” said Kerr. “He’s a very interesting guy. He’s a film-maker, he’s a father, and he’s a soccer fan and player. Right now he needs to be going out and doing all the fun stuff that he’s missed out on for twenty years, being with his family more and enjoying himself. Just having a small role here will be very satisfying for him and very helpful for us.”
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via Inland Valley Bulletin)
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