Steve Nash is creating a formidable coaching staff with Brooklyn Nets, Brett Favre endorses Donald Trump, and more sports news
Mike D'Antoni is reuniting with his former All-Star duo from their Phoenix Suns days on a loaded coaching staff in Brooklyn.
Steve Nash’s first Brooklyn Nets staff is still adding noticeable names, and it’s shaping up to be more experienced than some people expected.
The two-time MVP is hiring Mike D’Antoni and Ime Udoka as assistant coaches. They’ll join the recently hired Amar’e Stoudemire and lead assistant Jacque Vaughn, who performed well as the Nets' interim coach last season.
Nash’s relationship with D’Antoni goes back to their potent offensive days in Phoenix. The “seven seconds or less” Suns were one of the league’s best offenses, and the high-scoring unit led to two Nash MVPs. D’Antoni coached Nash and Stoudemire together for four seasons in Phoenix.
Ime Udoka is also a hot name in the league. He spent seven years on Gregg Popovich’s staff, and was with the 76ers last season. Udoka has interviewed and been rumored for other head-coaching positions.
A lot of talk was centered around Nash’s lack of experience, but when you consider the staff he’s put together, that shouldn’t matter as much. It’s not hyperbolic to say that Vaughn, Udoka and D’Antoni could have been hired as head coaches this offseason. When you add in Stoudemire and the respect he’ll command as a former six-time All-Star, this staff looks complete.
Brett Favre endorses Donald Trump
Brett Favre is the latest athlete to endorse Donald Trump as president. Favre tweeted out a message indicating his backing for Trump.
“In this election, we have freedom of choice, which all should respect. For me & these principles, my Vote is for [Donald Trump],” Favre tweeted Friday morning.
Jay Cutler and Jack Nicklaus are other recent athletes to endorse Trump. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Alex Rodriguez and Ben Simmons are among the athletes who have endorsed Joe Biden.
A.J. Hinch named Tigers manager
It didn’t take A.J. Hinch long to find another job.
The former Houston Astros manager who was banned a year after the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal was hired Friday as Detroit Tigers manager.
Hinch led the Astros on a dominant run from 2015-19 that included three consecutive 100-win seasons, two AL pennants, and a World Series title in 2017.
That title holds an asterisk to much of the baseball world, but Hinch often pressed the right buttons with pitchers and hitters during the run.
Hinch was one of the first people associated with the sign-stealing scandal to issue an apology in detail.
“I regret so much about that and it’s so complicated and so deep and there are parts that are hard to talk about but taking responsibility as the manager … it happened on my watch,” Hinch said in an interview with MLB Network and Sports Illustrated. “I’m not proud of that. I’ll never be proud of it.”
He takes over a rebuilding Tigers team that is nowhere near as loaded as the young group he inherited in Houston, but it’s another shot at managing in the majors.
Many people considered Hinch the top managerial candidate available. It’s part of the reason it was shocking that the Chicago White Sox opted for Tony La Russa instead, but the Tigers got the man they wanted.