Brooklyn Nets may be most unlikeable team in NBA history: Jay Williams

The Brooklyn Nets have continued to dominate the headlines this season both on and off the court. Former NBA player and TV analyst Jay Williams gave a bold take on the Nets, describing them as possibly the "most unlikeable" team in the league.

"They are the most unlikeable team maybe in the history of the NBA," he said on ESPN. "Let's be honest about it, let's just call it for what it is ... We spend so much time talking about all the things happening off the court that deter us from how skillful this team is on the court."

The comments, made by Williams on Wednesday morning, came in the midst of the Nets front office searching for a new head coach after dismissing Steve Nash. So far, the leading candidate for the role is Ime Udoka, who has been suspended by the Boston Celtics for an inappropriate workplace relationship.

Between Kyrie Irving's controversy, Steve Nash's dismissal, and Ben Simmons' poor play, the Nets have continued to be the talk of the league.

Going into the 2022-23 NBA season, it seemed as though with a healthy Simmons and an eligible Irving, the team was poised for a revenge tour. So far, that has not been the case. Simmons has fouled out twice in eight games, and Irving has continued to generate controversy off the court, having recently posted a link to a movie with anti-Semitic messages.

Steve Nash's time with the Brooklyn Nets

The way many see it, Nash was doomed from the start in Brooklyn. Despite a successful first season that saw the team make a deep playoff push, things have been rough as of late. Last season, Nash's team was forced to play the majority of the season without Kyrie Irving.

With Kevin Durant shouldering much of the pressure in Irving's absence, the team thought the acquisition of Ben Simmons would provide a much-needed boost. When Simmons arrived in Brooklyn, that was not the case. Simmons remained sidelined with lingering back pain and mental health struggles and did not play a single game last season.

This offseason, things went from bad to worse for Nash. According to reports, Kevin Durant issued an ultimatum to the front office, demanding that they either trade him or get rid of Nash and the general manager.

The question then was: how could Nash succeed when his star player wanted him out? This repeatedly surfaced leading up to the season, although the hope was that the two could get along if the team was winning.

Of course, that hasn't been the case. With an abysmal 2-5 record to start the season, Nash and the team parted ways prior to the Nets' loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. It marked the end of his rocky relationship with Durant and the team.

The onus will now fall on Durant, Irving, and Simmons to prove that they can win with a new head coach. Whether or not they're able to pull it off... only time will tell.