Last week, Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets shook the NBA when they hired 2x NBA MVP Steve Nash to be Brooklyn’s next coach. However, what was even more surprising was mainstream sports analyst, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith’s take on the hire, citing that it wasn’t a basketball decision.
“This is White Privilege. This does not happen for a Black man,” said Smith. “No experience whatsoever? On any level as a coach, and you get the Brooklyn Nets job? I know that Kyrie and KD have both signed off on this. I know they support this move, but I’m thinking about a champion that is Ty Lue, passed up. I’m thinking about a guy who built the foundation for the Golden State Warriors in Mark Jackson, passed up. I’m thinking about the years that Sam Cassell has served as an assistant…passed up, and it’s for a guy (my God one of the best guys you could possibly meet in your life and may do a fantastic job) but a guy that has no experience whatsoever.”
This rubbed many the wrong way from Charles Barkley, to obviously countless people on social media. Barkley took the stance that Nash is not only qualified but also that Smith should be careful when using the race card to discuss why someone was given a job opportunity.
Granted, what Barkley said makes sense since we as a nation (and really as a world) are arguably living in the most racially sensitive time ever. Therefore, while there are things going on like unarmed people of color getting killed by police without anyone facing consequences one might say that a coaching hire is not the time to bring up the topic of race. Pick and choose your battles so to speak.
Barkley (and others that opposed Smith) stated that his argument was empty since there are well-known contradictions and holes in that argument. Isaiah Thomas was brought on as the Pacers head coach in 2000; Derek Fisher was brought on as the Knicks head coach in 2014 and Jason Kidd was brought on as Nets head coach in 2013, just to name a few who didn’t have coaching experience but were hired.
However, statistically speaking a few things are worth looking at. Out of the 30 NBA teams, there are only four Black head coaches. Two were just let go in the past month in Alvin Gentry (NOP) and Nate McMillan (IND). While we’re at it, it’s no coincidence that Michael Jordan is the only Black majority owner in the league as well, and let’s face it, a part of that is because he’s Michael Jordan.
So, is it coincidental, or systemic? That’s up to you to decide, but those are the facts.
If you saw Stephen A’s entire segment, where he backed up his White privilege argument, you’d know that Smith continuously reiterated how much love he has for Nash as a person and how he may do a great job in Brooklyn, but that he’s still calling a thing a thing.
Hell, arguably this may be the best hire in the history of the league for someone who doesn’t have one single game of assistant coaching or head coaching experience. Nash is a back-to-back MVP, 5x NBA assists leader, 4x 50-40-90 club member and lastly, he’s widely respected as a very high basketball IQ mind.
This resume is why those who are more excited about the hire than Stephen A. are excited. As a result of Smith’s take on Brooklyn’s decision and all of the attention it got, Nets GM Sean Marks responded on ESPN Radio’s Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin this morning and stated “we did cast a very wide net, a very diverse net in looking at candidates,” said Marks.
Smith responded to that with saying that he wasn’t pointing his finger at Marks or Nash as if they were wrong, but instead was just using his platform to bring attention to a larger system that has existed for years and continues to exist. He also was just truly speaking from his heart, which is always commendable.
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