LeBron James co-signs Steve Nash for spotlighting soccer’s influence on his NBA career

LeBron James and Steve Nash have been trailblazers in the NBA, showcasing their brilliance as facilitators for their respective squads. Behind those crafty passes and set-ups are the two former MVPs’ deep understanding of floor angles and overall instinct to recognize openings on a basketball court.

Talking in the "Mind the Game" podcast on Tuesday, James lauded Nash’s ability to recognize openings on the floor before highlighting the influence of soccer on his basketball career.

“I’ve obviously grown to love soccer when I got older, and respecting the sport,” James said (Timestamp: 5:13). "I feel like you being able to use that sport for like knowing angles when you started playing basketball. I was always impressed on how you master the angle game on the floor.

“Anytime, you hear someone’s background being soccer, you see how it can translate to the game of basketball, where it almost puts you plays and plays in advance. Because in soccer, if you’re not thinking way ahead, you’re not going to make it.”

Nash then believed that he would not be as great as a basketball player if not for soccer, which allowed him to be forward-thinking whenever he was on the floor, especially as a relatively small point guard.

“I don’t think I would have played in the NBA if it was not for soccer,” Nash said (Timestamp: 6:05). “I couldn’t run past everyone, I couldn’t run past everyone. When I could be physical, I need to be efficient. … A lot of that comes from soccer, and a lot of that comes from trial and error."

Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006. However, he has not won a championship in his career. He retired in 2015 with the LA Lakers, where James is currently playing.

At 40, James is the oldest active player in the NBA today. He is entering his 18th playoff appearance after steering the Lakers to the third seed in the Western Conference.

Nash replaced current Lakers coach JJ Redick as James’ co-host in the podcast’s second season, following a successful debut last year.

Steve Nash reveals how he creates confusion for LeBron James

With an elite basketball IQ, Steve Nash was a floor general throughout his career. On Tuesday’s podcast episode with LeBron James, Nash revealed how he confused defenders through his dribble penetrations.

“I created confusion,” Nash told James. "I changed an opponent’s perspective. They had to look around in ways that made them uncomfortable, where they couldn’t see both – the ball and the man they were guarding."

Aside from his playmaking, Nash has been an elite scorer, especially during his time with the Phoenix Suns. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer was the most important cog in the Suns’ seven-second-or-less teams in the mid-2000s, which was coached by Mike D’Antoni.