Kevin Durant Steve Nash
Photo: New York Post

Steve Kerr attempted to explain why there is mutual respect between Kevin Durant and Steve Nash.

Durant will play under Nash next season, as the NBA Hall of Famer took over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

“There was an existing relationship before we even signed Kevin. And you can even look online, I wouldn’t call it a documentary, but some kind of TV show where he interviewed Kevin and you could tell they really hit it off in this interview.

I think Kevin has great respect for Steve because he watched him growing up and then played against him late in Steve’s career. There’s an inherent respect. Mutual respect.

I had no idea until yesterday afternoon and he called me just out of courtesy since he technically worked for us. He didn’t need to ask permission, obviously, but he just respectfully called me.

And I think (Nets general manager) Sean Marks called Bob (Myers) last night, so he gave us the heads up. But I didn’t see it coming.

I think it’s great, though. It’s an incredible hire. And Sean Marks and Steve and I were all in Phoenix together. I was GM and Sean and Steve were both on the team and they were really, really tight.

So that part I think is really, really important. That connection. So I’m happy for both of them,” Kerr told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.