TORONTO, Ont. (September 3, 2020) – The Brooklyn Nets announced Thursday that Steve Nash has been named the 23rd head coach in franchise history.

Previously serving as a player development consultant for the Golden State Warriors, Nash becomes the second Canadian head coach in NBA history and first since Jay Triano coached the Phoenix Suns during the 2017-18 season.

“I am honoured to have this opportunity with such a first-class organization and would like to thank Sean, Joe and his wife, Clara, for having faith in my ability to lead this team forward,” said Nash. “Coaching is something I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right, and I am humbled to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff we have here in Brooklyn. I am as excited about the prospects of the team on the court as I am about moving to Brooklyn with my family and becoming impactful members of this community.”

Representing Canada internationally for over ten years, Nash is best remembered for leading the team to the quarter-finals of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  Nash holds the Senior Men’s National Team single game assist record with 15 assists in Canada’s 101-90 victory over Australia in the preliminary round of the tournament. He also earned FIBA Americas MVP honours in 1999 and 2003.  Nash returned to the team as the General Manager of the Senior Men's National Team from 2012-2019.  

Selected 15th overall by Phoenix in the 1996 NBA Draft, Nash played 18 seasons in the NBA with the Suns (1996-1998, 2004-2012), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), and Los Angeles Lakers (2012-2015).

Nash earned league MVP honours in back-to-back seasons (2005, 2006) with the Suns, becoming just the 10th player in NBA history to win the award in consecutive seasons and first Canadian to earn the prestigious Maurice Podoloff Trophy.

An eight-time NBA All-Star (2002-2003, 2005-2008, 2010, 2012), Nash, a 6'3" point guard, was also a three-time All-NBA First Team member (2005-2007).

Nash finished his career ranked third all-time with 10,335 assists after leading the NBA in Assists Per Game for five seasons (2005-2007, 2010, 2011).  In 1,217 regular-season games, Nash averaged 14.3 points, 8.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 31.3 minutes per contest.  He also appeared in 120 playoff games, averaging 17.3 points and 8.8 assists.

In 2018, Nash became the fifth Canadian to be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame joining Dr. James Naismith (Inventor - 1959), Ernest C. Quigley (Official - 1961), Peter F. "Pete" Newell (Coach - 1979) and Robert J. "Bobby" Houbregs (Player - 1987).

Prior to the NBA, Nash attended Santa Clara University (1992-1996) where he was named a two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year (1994-95, 1995-96).  In one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, Nash and 15th-seeded Broncos upset the No. 2 seeded Arizona Wildcats.

One of Canada's most decorated athletes, Nash received the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's athlete of the year in 2005 and was a three-time Lionel Conacher Award recipient as Canadian male athlete of the year.  Earlier this year, Nash was announced as an inductee into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2020-21.

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