Nets hire Nash as coach; Morant is Rookie of Year
The Brooklyn Nets have hired Steve Nash as their coach, putting the Hall of Fame point guard in charge of the team that hopes to have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together next season.
“Coaching is something I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right, and I am humbled to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff we have here in Brooklyn,” Nash said in a statement.
Nash, two-time MVP as the playmaker of the Phoenix Suns teams under Mike D’Antoni that piled up points and 3-pointers long before they became the norm in the NBA, had been a player development consultant with Golden State, where he worked with Durant. In other NBA news:
• Memphis’ Ja Morant is the runaway winner of the NBA rookie of the year award for 2019-20, the first Grizzlies player to win the award since Pau Gasol in 2001-02.
Morant averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 assists this season. Miami’s Kendrick Nunn was second and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson was third.
NFL Newton will start at QB for Patriots
Patriots coach Bill Belichick named Cam Newton the team’s starting quarterback, according to reports. The Patriots also announced Thursday that the former Carolina Panthers star was voted by his teammates to be one their captains.
Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP, encountered little obvious interest from other teams as a free agent after the Panthers released him in March. The shoulder and foot injuries he suffered over the past two seasons, which cost him a total of 16 games, were likely a major factor.
In other news:
• The Buccaneers reached a deal with running back Leonard Fournette, who found a new NFL home quickly after being released this week by the Jaguars. The oneyear contract reportedly can be worth as much as $3.5 million.
• The Seahawks are bringing back Josh Gordon on a one-year deal even as the talented wide receiver awaits reinstatement by the NFL after his latest suspension.
Gordon’s signing was confirmed on Twitter by his agent David Canter early and later announced by the team.
Gordon was suspended indefinitely by the NFL last December for violating the league’s drug policy. He tested positive for performance enhancers and “substances of abuse,” the league said in a statement at the time.
• The Cowboys released safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, cutting ties before the first game with the free agent they hoped could help fill the void of several losses in the secondary.
The 27-year-old former Alabama star, seen as a potential starter alongside Xavier Woods when he agreed to a deal in March, was demoted during training camp. Darian Thompson took over his firstteam reps.
• The Browns acquired safety Ronnie Harrison from the Jaguars for a fifth-round pick in 2021. The 6-foot-3, 214-pounder made 22 starts for Jacksonville, which selected him in the third round of the 2018 draft.
• Panthers first-year head coach Matt Rhule said there is a reason why he’s been looking like “Darth Vader” recently at practice.
Rhule revealed that he’s been dealing with a painful cornea issue for weeks, which has left his eye sensitive to light. That has prompted him to wear a black bucket hat and dark sunglasses to go along with his black mask due to the coronavirus pandemic.
CYCLING Lutsenko wins Tour’s Stage 6
Kazakh rider Alexey Lutsenko won his first stage in his fifth Tour de France with a solo effort up Mont Aigoual, France.
The Tour’s top contenders were still racing far behind the 27-year-old Lutsenko on the mountain when he crossed the line at the top with towering views of southern France.
Briton Adam Yates kept the race leader’s yellow jersey, still three seconds ahead of Primoz Roglic from Slovenia. Tadej Pogacar is third, seven seconds behind Yates.