"I said to my wife, I might not have been her first choice and we’ve been together 20 years" - Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn makes hilarious analogy
The Brooklyn Nets officially announced Jacque Vaughn as the team's head coach, promoting him from the assistant-coach post. While Vaughn earned the spot, he is aware that he wasn't the top choice for the team.
The Nets have been a turbulent franchise this season. Even with the nature of the trade rumors and drama in the offseason, that situation pales in comparison to the current circumstances.
Since Steve Nash's departure from the team, the Nets practically fell into chaos as talks of hiring a new head coach gathered steam. At this point in time, Jacque Vaughn was named interim head coach.
Rumors presented suspended Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka as the frontrunner for the job, and it seemed fairly obvious that the Nets would opt for him.
However, news of Udoka's potential hire set off several alarms within the Nets organization as well. 'Strong forces' within the organization urged franchise owner Joe Tsai to look away from hiring Udoka, and the Nets had their hands tied.
Also Read: Reports: Adam Silver ‘may have stepped in’ after Ime Udoka became the frontrunner for next Brooklyn Nets coach
All matters were addressed on Wednesday when the Brooklyn Nets finally announced Jacque Vaughn as their head coach. Given that Vaughn has been fairly successful with the team of late, the Nets made a solid choice.
Vaughn commented on the matter during a press conference. While mentioning the nature of his hire, he hilariously compared his situation to his marriage. He said:
"I guess I was the write-in candidate in the minds of elections right now, but I’m ok with that. I said to my wife, I might not have been her first choice and we’ve been together 20 years, so it can all work out. So, off we go.”
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn: “I guess I was the write-in candidate in the minds of elections right now, but I’m ok with that. I said to my wife, I might not have been her first choice and we’ve been together 20 years, so it can all work out. So, off we go.” https://t.co/XHDXUVo5Gp
Ime Udoka emerged as the likely candidate for the Nets in many ways. Given his time as an assistant coach under Steve Nash, Udoka had a solid foundation with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Similarly, Udoka had also spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers, which benefitted his case as he had some basis of a relationship with Ben Simmons as well.
However, Vaughn's hiring is probably the most crucial decision Brooklyn could have made at this point in time. Given the degree of instability within the franchise, the Nets did a solid job by hiring someone who has the trust of the players and doesn't carry the baggage that Udoka does.
With success following the decision already, Brooklyn could stand to benefit a lot in the long run.
Jacque Vaughn could turn things around with the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets had one of the worst starts to the 2022-23 campaign in the NBA. After splitting their first two games, the Nets went on a four-game losing slide that saw them drop to the lower rung of the East.
Amid these losses, the Nets also struggled with internal issues surrounding Kyrie Irving and Steve Nash. With a turbulent relationship between the two dividing the locker room, Brooklyn were forced into a corner.
Related: NBA scout reveals Kyrie Irving displaying reluctance towards Steve Nash’s in-game decisions: “Nash would call something, and he’d run the opposite”
The Nets finally parted ways with Nash prior to the game against the Chicago Bulls. With Jacque Vaughn being named interim coach just before the game, the team was bound to lose. However, the Nets have been on a tear since.
With Kevin Durant looking reminiscent of his former self, the Brooklyn Nets have gone on a solid 3-1 winning streak.
A walking bucket. @KDTrey5
(via @BrooklynNets) https://t.co/ey1zca0z9w
Having improved to 5-7 following their latest win against the New York Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets are slowly climbing up the ranks of the East again.