Out of Bounds

In recent discussions around the National Basketball Association (NBA), a controversial topic
has been whether the hiring of Steve Nash, a Canadian former player from the said league, as the
new head coach of the Brooklyn resulted from white privilege. On the one hand, some argue that
if he were black, there was no way that he would have gotten this opportunity. In the words of
Stephen A. Smith, a prominent African American sports television personality, an active
advocate racial justice, and one of this view’s leading proponents, during a segment of ESPN
First Take, “…Steve Nash has no coaching experience, whatsoever, on any level….there is no
way around this; this is white privilege. This does not happen for a black man.” From this
perspective, one can most certainly begin to question the said appointment. To give his statement
context, one must note that even within the league itself, the Brooklyn Nets’ head coach position
is a highly coveted job. Aside from being based in New York, the team is considered one of the
favorites to win the championship next season. In light of these considerations, there are
numerous personnel, most notably black ones, whom many consider as more qualified, deserving
and fit for the position than Nash such as Tyronn Lue, Sam Cassell, and Mark Jackson. Despite
this, Nash, who, as Smith has mentioned, has no prior experience in coaching, managed to secure
the job in the blink of an eye.

On the other hand, however, others argue there was nothing wrong with the hiring of the
Canadian. Jay Williams, an African American television sports analyst and former NBA player,
in an episode of Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin, straight up debunked Smith’s claim that the same
kind of opportunity does not exist for black men. He mentioned the names of Isiah Thomas,
Jason Kidd, and Derek Fisher, all black men who, like Steve, have gotten positions as head
coaches in the past without any prior coaching experience. Williams further strengthened his
argument by bringing up that the main reason Nash was hired for the job in the first place was
that he was specifically chosen by the Nets’ superstar players, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving,
who are both African American. He then questioned whether this should be considered black
privilege or reverse racism. According to this view, Durant and Irving are both merely players
for the team and technically should not have any power within the organization to decide who
gets to be their coach, yet their opinions were the biggest factor in the organization’s decision to
grant the job to Nash. If one were to judge this situation with the same outlook being used to
criticize the Nash hiring, one could easily begin to question if Durant and Irving were given the
right to choose whom they want as their coach because they are black, which of course is not the
case as they were given this privilege because of their calibre as players.

My own view is that skin colour had nothing to do with this hiring. Though I concede that the
decision certainly was unexpected, I still maintain that the Brooklyn Nets’ move is completely
justifiable. Although others with similar views to Smith may object and insist that there are other
candidates who have better resumes and more experience than Nash, which is undeniable, I
would reply that Nash was a two-time Most Valuable Player during his playing days, is a hall of
fame point guard, is highly respected in the league, and is widely regarded as one of the smartest
and most knowledgeable people when it comes to the game of basketball. Furthermore, while he
has no coaching experience of any sort, it is worth noting that not only did he play for 18 years in
the league, but has also previously worked for the Golden State Warriors, another NBA team, as
a player development consultant. Hence, to make up for his lack of coaching fundamentals and
mechanics, he has a vast amount of actual on-court experience which will no doubt give him the
ability to understand his players and the flow of a game in a multitude of ways no other coach
can.
This issue is of importance because while it is a fact that black oppression and racial prejudice, in
general, is still widespread not only in professional sports but in society as a whole, one must not
always be so quick to use the race card against others, especially for his/her own interest or
personal gain. One must carefully examine each situation individually and objectively conclude
whether or not injustice is truly present.
 WORKS CITED

Smith, Stephen A.  Stephen A. reacts to the Nets hiring Steve Nash as the next head coach | First

Take. YouTube, uploaded by ESPN, 3 Sept. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=kRyGZr-ezWE

Williams, Jay. Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin react to Stephen A.'s comments about Steve Nash

getting Nets' coaching job. YouTube, uploaded by ESPN, 5 Sept. 2020,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdP5KwxnHHE