The Brooklyn Nets bowed to intense public pressure after it announced its intention to hire Boston Celtics exiled coach Ime Udoka.
The Nets fired coach Steve Nash on Nov. 1, 2022, following a tumultuous offseason where franchise star Kevin Durant called for Nash and the general manager’s ouster. This, of course, came after the Nets were humiliated by being swept in the opening round of the playoffs in the spring of 2022.
When the Nets – who were picked by pundits to contend for the NBA championship – opened the season 2-6, Nash’s head was served up on a platter and he was summarily dismissed.
That same day, Udoka’s name was leaked to the press as the front-runner to fill the Nets head coaching vacancy.
But there were multiple media reports that powerful and influential voices had been whispering in Nets’ owner Joseph Tsai’s ear to dissuade him from bringing on Udoka and his baggage. The Nets were already dealing with the maelstrom created by brilliant, but troubled, point guard Kyrie Irving who reposted a flagrantly antisemitic movie, and then defiantly refused to issue an apology.
Irving has since been suspended from the team for at least five games and has to undergo an arduous process to return to play.
Udoka is embroiled in his own controversy and scandal. He was suspended for the entire season by the Boston Celtics after engaging in an improper romantic relationship with a married subordinate and then may have harassed the woman after she tried to break off the illicit affair.
The Nets believe it would be too much of a PR nightmare to bring on Udoka at this point.
Instead, the Nets have taken off the interim tag from Jacque Vaughn’s title and have named him the permanent head coach. He has led the Nets to a 2-2 record, including a 40-point blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets.
