Brooklyn Nets introduce Lionel Hollins as new head coach

What a difference a week makes. After a stunning turn of events that led to Jason Kidd’s abrupt departure as coach of the Brooklyn Nets, despite a relatively successful first season, the franchise responded quickly by introducing the experienced Lionel Hollins as the team’s head coach at Barclays Center on July 7.

“I’m excited to be here,” said Hollins. “I know it’s a challenge but in order to have success you have to go through challenges.”

Hollins is Brooklyn’s fourth head coach as the team approaches only its third season in the borough. Nets management is hoping that his 20 years of coaching experience will add stability after a messy divorce with Kidd.

“It’s a great pleasure that I get to introduce Lionel Hollins as the next head coach,” said Nets General Manager Billy King. “If you watched his teams in Memphis, they always played hard, they were disciplined, played great defense and they just got better every year. That’s what we need at this stage with the Brooklyn Nets.”

Hollins’ last head coaching position was with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he led the team to its best season in franchise history in 2012-13, winning 56 games as well as reaching the Western Conference Finals. He is considered to be a defensive minded coach and wants to instill toughness in the Nets and the team’s veteran-laden roster.

“It’s about how mentally tough you are,” he said. “That’s more what I’m putting my sights on versus what style [we play]. Any style you play can be successful. It’s about the other things that make you go to top.”

After the Grizzlies decided not to re-sign Hollins, he spent the following year working on NBA TV and Sirius XM, which helped him study the sport. “I was able to stay connected to game and see how it’s changing and how I wanted to move forward if I got another opportunity,” he explained.

Despite the time off, Hollins is excited about his next challenge. “As one gets older, you don’t know if opportunities will ever come back again and to have this opportunity is truly a blessing,” he said.

Kidd, who less than two weeks ago described the Nets as a ‘world class franchise’ during a conference to introduce plans for the team’s future training facility in Industry City, was granted permission to negotiate with the Milwaukee Bucks after speculation that Kidd requested that the Nets offer him a position in upper management in addition to being head coach and was denied. Hollins reassured fans that his motives are clear.

“I’m a basketball coach,” he stressed. “I don’t want to do Billy’s job. I don’t want to do anyone else’s job in this organization other than the one I’m hired to do.”