Steve Nash is back in the NBA. Well, not on the court, but on the sidelines. This news comes after the Phoenix Suns announced that their former superstar and NBA icon will be joining them for the upcoming season. As expected, it has sent the Suns fans into a frenzy, not just because of Nash’s connection with the storied franchise. But also because this is the first job the veteran has taken up since his stint as the Brooklyn Nets’ head coach ended in 2022, which makes you wonder if Kevin Durant has a role to play in this offseason appointment.

The Slim Reaper and Nash share a lot of history together, as Durant joined the Nets back in 2019 while still recovering from his Achilles injury, after which Nash was appointed as the head coach of the team featuring KD, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Despite not having any coaching experience, many believed that the two-time MVP Nash would be the one to take this star-studded Nets roster all the way to the summit of the NBA. However, that wasn’t the case as his head coaching career ended abruptly.

Although there were a lot of rumors and questions surrounding that Nets team, it wasn’t until earlier this year that Durant and Nash addressed them, as they revealed something that would’ve helped revive the former Phoenix icon’s career. While chatting on the ‘Mind The Game’ podcast, the pair discussed what went wrong in Brooklyn. “I didn’t get to coach as much as I wanted to,” Nash stated, acknowledging the roadblocks in his first head coaching job.

To which KD replied, “That’s what it was. I think we didn’t get the full Steve Nash, like I wanted… like you probably wanted. I just felt like it was just too many distractions in the way, and you know, you can’t win that way. That first year, man, the most fun ball I had. Some of the most fun ball I had playing my whole life,” he said. “I enjoyed it, I enjoyed Brooklyn a lot. I loved playing for Brooklyn, but it’s just so much around the guys committed to the situation, and I felt like we were committed, but everybody else wasn’t. It just was weird.”

Back then, both Durant and Nash had inked new deals and were completely committed to the project, but some other players weren’t. “I felt like we were committed, but everybody else wasn’t. It just was weird,” he had said. Moreover, this conversation revealed that Steve Nash wasn’t given the kind of freedom he needed to actually actually coach the teams as he wanted. This indicated that whatever happened during that time within the Brooklyn Nets organization wasn’t either Nash’s or KD’s fault. On the contrary, they were the only steady and reliable figures on the team.

Not months after this massive revelation that proved that team chemistry is as important as star power and that the Phoenix icon wasn’t as bad a coach as people assumed, Nash has been given another opportunity by Mat Ishbia and Co., well, not as a head coach, but still a pretty prominent role. So, it’s only right for us to believe that Kevin Durant absolving Nash’s guilt from Brooklyn might’ve had a small yet impactful role, as the Suns warmly welcome the former NBA superstar.

Mat Ishbia welcomes Steve Nash as a senior advisor

Steve Nash has already cemented his name in the Phoenix Suns’ history as one of the best ever to don their uniform. Now, he’s set to add a new chapter with the franchise as he joins the Arizona-based team as a senior advisor. Although there’s no way to prove this yet, it seems like Kevin Durant might’ve made an assist in this massive offseason move for the Suns. Nonetheless, the former NBA floor general received a warm welcome from the Suns owner, Mat Ishbia.

“Steve Nash was an amazing player and exactly what the Phoenix Suns are all about. His grit, toughness, and winning mentality have defined our organization in the past, and I’m so excited to share that Steve is formally joining the @Suns as a senior advisor and will help us define our future for years to come!” Ishbia wrote on X, as he also attached two pictures with the tweet, one from Nash’s playing days with the Suns and the other from his time as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.

The two-time MVP and former head coach will now be putting his incredible basketball IQ to use, providing strategic input to the Suns’ front office. Nash’s role will also involve him mentoring younger players and assisting Jordan Ott in shaping the team’s culture. Although we won’t be seeing the Suns icon on the sidelines, it’s great to see him being involved in team activities once again, as he now also will be contesting against his business partner, LeBron James. Meanwhile, the Suns hope this will help them bounce back from their abysmal campaign.