“NASH-ty” career approaching the end of the tunnel

Steve Nash

The initial stint with the Suns

From the start of his career in Phoenix, to his All-star years in Dallas, to his best career days back in Phoenix, and spending the twilight of his colourful career in the city of angels, Steve Nash has been a class act. He has been an eight-time All-star, three-time first All-NBA team, five-time NBA assist leader and a two-time Most Valuable Player and many more to mention under his belt. But there’s one more missing in his resume – an NBA championship.

Nash was drafted 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns out of Santa Clara in 1996. The Canadian really didn’t make any significant impact on the team while playing under the likes of Sam Cassel and a rising star in Jason Kidd. He was just playing under 11 minutes per game in his rookie season.

Move to Dallas

In Nash’s third season as a pro, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, spearheaded by Don Nelson. His stint with the Mavs saw him establish himself as one of the formidable point guards and formed a partnership alongside Dirk Nowitzki. Together, they have entered the playoffs on a regular basis and made Dallas serious contenders.

But after all the success with the Mavs, the team just couldn’t go over the hump to win a championship. And after the 2003-04 season, Nash become a free agent and would later sign and go back to the team he first played for. It was a frenzy watching the Suns as they never looked tired of running up and down the court. Nash later won the MVP award for consecutive seasons, in 2005 and 2006.

Back to the Suns

Nash returned to Phoenix in 2004 and teamed up with an emerging star in Amar’e Stoudemire and a young core in Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson. Coaching them was Mike D’Antoni, who implemented a tempo-style kind of play. This system really gave Nash to showcase his leadership capabilities on the court.

The Suns were predicted to have a slumping season but to the surprise of many, they ended up with a 62-20 record, the best in the NBA. Nash was leading the league with 11.5 apg. It was a frenzy watching the Suns as they never looked tired of running up and down the court. Nash later won the MVP award for consecutive seasons, in 2005 and 2006.

But then again, with all the success that comes in the regular season, Nash just seemed to have no luck to enter the pinnacle of NBA glory as the Suns suffered consistent disappointments in the playoffs. To make matters worse, many of their defeats came from their arch-rivals, the San Antonio Spurs.

Signing off at LA Lakers

Nash came to Los Angeles Lakers via a sign-and-trade deal. Entering his 17th season, Nash already had been dealing with back problems. From time to time, he never really got his flow for the game as injuries started to slowly pile up for the Canadian. In his two-year stint with the Lakers, he has missed a total of 99 games. He has been shooting a career-low of just 38% from the field.

At this start of the 2014-15 season, the 40-year-old Nash has been ruled out for the whole season due to a back injury. It was really disappointing to see his wonderful career end in this fashion.

It is sad to see that he will accompany some of the greats like Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller in list of NBA’s greatest who have never been champions. With Nash nearing the end of his wonderful career, there will be no question that his name will be enshrined in the basketball hall of fame. Cheers to “Nash-ty” basketball!