In the wake of being fired by the Nets, Lionel Hollins opened up in several recent interviews when asked about his time in Brooklyn.
While Hollins didn’t specifically name names within the Nets’ hierarchy, or even refer specifically to the Nets, the 62-year-old — who was fired Jan. 10 by owner Mikhail Prokhorov — talked about how micromanaging and meddling undercuts any coach and how he was left shocked and disappointed at being let go.
“The main thing when you’re looking for a job is finding somebody that allows you to be you and lets you coach as you coach,” Hollins said on SiriusXM radio. “If you’re successful, great. If you’re not, get rid of him.
“But the micromanaging, the meddling of who should play and how you should talk to this guy and how you should talk to the media, what you should say or shouldn’t say because how it looks for the organization versus just speaking the truth — those things weigh on you when you spend so much time trying to massage everybody instead of just coaching.”
It’s well known the Nets’ Russian brain trust was baffled by Hollins’ critical comments about several of his players and let him know it. It’s unclear whether their concerns were over Hollins losing the locker room — which he apparently did — or devaluing their assets. Either way, it was a bone of contention.
“I think for me, a coach is the guy in charge. His relationship is the most important with the players,” Hollins said on SiriusXM. “I think GMs have tried and wanted to be closer with the players, the marketing people want to be closer with the players, and they want to sell, and they want the players to feel good about their experience. The only experience you can feel good about in this league is winning and having success. Losing and being marketed will never make you feel good.”
Marketing is important to the organization, with Nets and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark one of the more powerful people in the building. He was part of Prokhorov’s general manager search committee and has the ear of ownership.
Hollins also was interviewed by independent sportscaster Drea Avent and asked about his reaction to the word “scapegoat” being attached to his role in the Nets’ struggles and his firing.
“We live in a society where every time something goes wrong, there has to be a blame,” Hollins said. “We live in a very sue-happy society, for lack of a better term. Not just in sports, but in all walks of life, somebody has got to be at fault anytime anything goes wrong. You go to Starbucks and you drink that coffee, and it’s too hot, you sue Starbucks.
“My thing is this: It’s nice to have the fan support. I look at it from this perspective: The people who know sports and know who you are, they know what you tried to do and what you tried to accomplish, and they understand every situation. And there are some people who don’t.”
While Hollins said he was shocked and disappointed by his firing, he thanked the Nets for the opportunity they gave him.
“Any time you’re fired, there’s a disappointment. There’s shock, surprise, whatever you want to call it,” Hollins said. “But I always look at it from this perspective: The people that pay all the money, they have a right to do what they want, and they decided they wanted to go in a different direction. That’s their prerogative.
“As I tell the players, you have ups and downs, and you have things that are something that you would not want to have happen, but it happens. You have to be mature, deal with it and move on. … I’m thankful for the opportunity to have the time I did there coaching, which is something I love to do. They chose to make a decision they didn’t want me around anymore, and that’s cool.”