The Brooklyn Nets have officially begun their search for a new head coach, and it has been widely reported that they plan to heavily pursue Gregg Popovich. That pursuit is apparently fully supported by Kevin Durant.
Popovich is a “favorite” of Durant and has been for years, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Durant reportedly dreamed of Popovich coaching the Oklahoma City Thunder before they hired Bill Donovan back in 2015. There is said to be “tremendous mutual respect” between Durant and Popovich.
Kyrie Irving appears to be on board, too. ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan wrote on Sunday that Durant and Irving want the Nets to hire a high-profile coach like Popovich or Tyronn Lue.
Popovich is considered one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, and many star players would welcome the opportunity to play under him. It’s no surprise that the Nets want to hire him, though there has been no real indication that Pop is open to leaving the San Antonio Spurs.
Nets GM Sean Marks played for Popovich in San Antonio and later worked under him as an assistant. Interim head coach Jacque Vaughn and assistant coach Tiago Splitter also played for Popovich, so there are plenty of connections there. However, the comments Marks made about Popovich last month make it seem like the Nets know hiring him is a true long shot.
