Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash appears willing to do whatever it takes to make his first year comfortable for his star players.

Nash has hired Royal Ivey — friend of Kevin Durant — to his coaching staff as an assistant, according to the Nets.

Ivey spent 10 years in the NBA as a player and was Durant's teammate for three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The two also played college basketball at Texas, though not at the same time.

The Harlem native then went on to coach OKC's G League team and was later named a Thunder assistant. Ivey joined the New York Knicks under former head coach David Fizdale's staff in the summer of 2018, and he now will be on the bench with Nash as the Nets hope to contend next season.

Durant has been very open in his praise for Ivey in the past, and he was even regarded as a potential reason KD would consider signing with the Knicks last summer.

Instead, Durant opted to go to Brooklyn. But Nash, a first-year head coach, realizes he will need sources of comfort for his stars. Thus, Ivey is coming aboard.

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This will be a pivotal season for Durant and the Nets.

The former league MVP missed the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign due to the ruptured Achilles he suffered in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals. However, with a healthy Durant and co-star Kyrie Irving leading the way, the Nets are hoping to be among the top contenders in the Eastern Conference next season.

Nash himself will be under immense pressure to get the team to perform. He is hoping guys like Ivey and other assistants on his staff will be able to lend wisdom and perspective as the Nets contend for a title.