BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Hello Brooklyn! In the case of the man known as “The Little General” the trademark Brooklyn Bridge is already in his proverbial rearview mirror.
In a move that shocked many, The Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Avery Johnson after roughly two and a quarter seasons with the team early Thursday. The move came after the Nets would lose on Christmas Day to the Boston Celtics 93-76 and to the Milwaukee Bucks, 108-93. Assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo has been promoted to interim head coach in Johnson’s place.
The Nets began their inaugural season in Brooklyn on a high note as they started the season 11-4.
However, things have taken a turn for the worse this month for the team as they are only 3-10 in December and have fallen far short of expectations since moving into the new Barclays Center this season.
“The Nets ownership would like to express thanks to Avery for his efforts and to wish him every success in the future,” principal owner Mikhail Prokhorov said on the firing.
It is unknown which direction the Nets will go from here as far as the search for a new head coach goes, however the team may be able to turn the corner and gain some much-needed momentum going forward as a result of this abrupt decision.
Early reports to replace Johnson are Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson, Houston Rockets assistant head coach Kelvin Sampson and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy.