Steve Nash
Encyclopedia
Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC
, OBC
(born 7 February 1974) is a South African
-born Canadian professional basketball
player who plays point guard
for the Phoenix Suns
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara University. In his four seasons with the Broncos, the team made three NCAA Tournament
appearances, and Nash was twice named the West Coast Conference
Player of the Year.
After graduating from Santa Clara as the team's all-time leader in assists
, Nash entered the 1996 NBA Draft
and was selected as the 15th pick by the Phoenix Suns. He made a minimal impact, and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks
in 1998. By his third season with the Mavericks, he was voted into his first NBA All-Star Game and had earned his first All-NBA selection. Together with Dirk Nowitzki
and Michael Finley
, Nash led the Mavericks to the Western Conference
Finals the following season. However, he became a free agent
after the and returned to the Phoenix Suns.
In the , Nash led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was named MVP again in the , and missed out on a third consecutive MVP title to Nowitzki the next season. Named by ESPN
in 2006 as the ninth greatest point guard of all time, Nash has led the league in assists and free-throw percentage at various points in his career. He is also ranked as one of the top players in NBA league history for three-point shooting
, free-throw shooting, total assists and assists per game.
Nash has been honoured for his contributions to various philanthropic causes. In 2006, he was named by Time
as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He also received the Order of Canada
in 2007, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Victoria
in 2008.
, South Africa
to a Welsh
mother and an English
father on 7 February 1974. His family moved to Regina
, Saskatchewan
, when he was 18 months old, then to Vancouver
, before finally settling in Victoria
, British Columbia
. Although Nash played soccer and ice hockey
, often with his younger brother Martin, he did not start playing basketball until he was 12 or 13. However, in grade eight, he told his mother that one day he would play in the NBA and become a star.
, a private boarding school
. At St. Michaels, he starred in basketball, soccer, and rugby union
. While playing basketball during his senior season, Nash averaged 21.3 points
, 11.2 assists
, and 9.1 rebounds
per game. In the 1991–92 season, he led his team in his final year to the British Columbia AAA provincial championship title, and was named the province's Player of the Year.
winner to figure out this guy's pretty good. It was just a case of hoping that none of the big names came around." However, Davey also told Nash that he was "the worst defensive player" he had ever seen.
Nash was awarded a scholarship by Santa Clara for the 1992–93 season
. At that time, it had been five years since the Broncos appeared in the NCAA tournament. That changed when Nash led the Broncos to a West Coast Conference
(WCC) Tournament title and an upset win over the No. 2 seeded Arizona
in the first round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In that game, Nash scored six straight free throw
s in the last 30 seconds of the contest. Although Santa Clara was defeated by Temple
in the next round, the 1992–93 campaign was considered a successful one. However, the Broncos failed to sustain the momentum the following season, and only managed a 5–7 record in the conference. The team rebounded in the 1994–95 season
, with Nash being named Conference Player of the Year and the Broncos topping the WCC. Featuring the league leader for scoring and assists in Nash, the Broncos returned to the NCAA tournament, but they were defeated by Mississippi State
. After the season, Nash contemplated turning professional, and decided against it when he learned that he would probably not be considered as a first-round pick in the 1995 NBA Draft
.
In the 1995–96 season
, Nash began attracting the attention of the national media and professional scouts. He had spent the summer before that honing his skills, playing with the Canadian national team and working out with the likes of established NBA players Jason Kidd
and Gary Payton
. Santa Clara again captured the WCC title, and for the second consecutive year, Nash was named Conference Player of the Year, the first Bronco to do so since Kurt Rambis
. He scored 28 points in leading the #10 seed Broncos to a first round upset win over #7 seed Maryland
, but then the Broncos were eliminated by Kansas. Nash's performances ensured that he was named Honorable Mention All-America
as a senior by The Associated Press and the USBWA. He also finished his career as Santa Clara's all-time leader in career assists (510), free-throw percentage (.862), and made and attempted three-pointers (263–656). He remains third on the school's all-time scoring list (1,689), and holds Santa Clara's single-season free-throw percentage record (.894). In September 2006, Nash had his jersey (#11) retired, becoming the first Santa Clara student-athlete to receive that honour.
| align="left" | 1992–93
| align="left" | Santa Clara
| 31 || ... || 24.0 || .424 || .408 || .825 || 2.5 || 2.2 || .8 || .1 || 8.1
|-
| align="left" | 1993–94
| align="left" | Santa Clara
| 26 || ... || 29.9 || .414 || .399 || .831 || 2.5 || 3.7 || 1.3 || .0 || 14.6
|-
| align="left" | 1994–95
| align="left" | Santa Clara
| 27 || ... || 33.4 || .444 || .454 || .879 || 3.8 || 6.4 || 1.8 || .1 || 20.9
|-
| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Santa Clara
| 29 || ... || 33.8 || .430 || .344 || .894 || 3.6 || 6.0 || 1.3 || .0 || 17.0
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Career
| 113 || ... || 30.1 || .430 || .401 || .867 || 3.1 || 4.5 || 1.3 || .1 || 14.9
in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft
. Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the relatively unknown player. This was because despite his impressive college accomplishments, Nash had not played in one of the major college conferences
. During his first two seasons in the NBA, Nash played a supporting role behind NBA star point guards Kevin Johnson
, Sam Cassell
, and later, Jason Kidd
. Both Johnson and Cassell had NBA Finals
experience, while Kidd was the second overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft
and already an All-Star when he arrived at Phoenix.
In his rookie season, Nash only managed 10.5 minutes a game, but in his second season, his playing time increased significantly and he was even ranked 13th in the league for three-point field-goal percentage. Nevertheless, the Canadian's tenure with the Suns did not last. While at Santa Clara, Nash had met and befriended Dallas Mavericks
assistant coach Donnie Nelson
, who worked for the Golden State Warriors
at that time. After moving to Dallas, Nelson was able to convince his father, Don Nelson
—then the Mavericks coach and general manager—to acquire the under-utilised Nash. Following the 1998 NBA Draft
, Nash was traded from the Suns to the Mavericks in exchange for Martin Müürsepp
, Bubba Wells
, the draft rights to Pat Garrity and a first-round draft pick (who later turned out to be future Phoenix team-mate Shawn Marion
).
-shortened ) he started in all 40 games he played in, and averaged 7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. The 19–31 Mavericks failed to make the playoffs
but in the 1999–2000 season, the team's prospects improved considerably. Nash missed 25 mid-season games due to an ankle injury, but came back to record six double-doubles in the last month of play. He finished the season with averages of 8.6 points and 4.9 assists per game. More importantly for the team, second-year teammate and friend Dirk Nowitzki
was blossoming quickly into a top player, veteran Michael Finley
was having an All-Star
-calibre year, and the team's new owner, billionaire Mark Cuban
, was bringing new energy and excitement to the franchise. Nash now had a supportive environment in which he could thrive.
In the , Nash averaged 15.6 points and 7.3 assists per game in a breakout season. With Nash directing the team's offense, Nowitzki and Finley playing at their best, and the acquisition of All-Star Juwan Howard
complementing the high-scoring trio, the Mavericks earned a playoff berth
for the first time in more than a decade. Dallas lost in the Western Conference
Semifinals four games to one to the San Antonio Spurs
, but it marked the beginning of a memorable run for Nash and the Mavericks. In the , Nash posted career-highs of 17.9 points and 7.7 assists per game and earned a spot in the NBA All-Star Game and on the All-NBA Third Team. He was now an All-Star, increasingly appearing in television commercials and, with Finley and Nowitzki, a part of the Dallas Mavericks "Big Three." Dallas earned another trip to the playoffs
but lost again in the Semifinals to the Sacramento Kings
four games to one.
Nash closely replicated his previous season's performance in the , averaging 17.7 points and 7.3 assists per game, again earning All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honours. Nowitzki and Nash led the Mavericks from a 14-game winning streak to open the season all the way to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs four games to two. It was only the second Conference Finals appearance in the franchise's history. The saw an offensively boosted Mavericks roster (with the acquisitions of Antoine Walker
and Antawn Jamison
) but a dip in Nash's scoring contributions. As a result he was not selected for the All-Star and All-NBA team rosters even though he achieved new career highs in assists per game (8.8) and free-throw accuracy (91.6%). In the playoffs
, the fifth-seeded Dallas failed to make progress yet again as the Sacramento Kings saw them off four games to one.
After the 2003–04 season, Nash became a free agent
. He attempted to negotiate a long-term contract with Cuban, who was paying Walker, Finley, Nowitzki and Jamison nearly $50 million in combined salaries that season. Cuban wanted to build his franchise around the younger Nowitzki and did not want to risk signing the 30-year-old Nash to a long-term deal, and offered Nash a four-year deal worth about $9 million annually, with a fifth year partially guaranteed. The Phoenix Suns
on the other hand offered the point guard a six-year, $63 million contract. Nash was reluctant to leave Dallas and returned to Cuban to see if he would match the deal; Cuban did not, and Nash signed for the Suns for the . The Canadian would go on to win two League MVP
awards with Phoenix, and on a 14 June 2006 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Cuban wondered out loud, "... you know Steve's a great guy and I love him to death, but why couldn't he play like an MVP for us?"
, Joe Johnson
and Amar'e Stoudemire. In the season before Nash arrived, the Suns had recorded a 29–53 win–loss record, and they were projected to have another poor season. Head coach Mike D'Antoni
favoured an up-tempo style of basketball; this required smaller and more athletic players with the capability to outrun and outshoot their opponents. Nash's familiarity with this style combined with the athleticism of his teammates produced an NBA-best 62–20 record and a points-per-game average of 110.4, the highest in a decade. The catalyst of this turnaround, Nash averaged 11.5 assists per game while making 50.2% of his field goals and 43.1% of his three-pointers in the regular season. He edged Shaquille O'Neal
to win the NBA MVP award
, becoming the first Canadian to earn the honour, as well as the third point guard ever to be named MVP, along with Magic Johnson
and Bob Cousy
. In the playoffs
, Phoenix swept the Memphis Grizzlies
in four games before meeting the Dallas Mavericks
in the second round. Nash led the Suns to a 4–2 series win, and the Suns reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1993, but lost to the eventual NBA Champions and arch-rival, the San Antonio Spurs
, in five games.
The next season, Stoudemire suffered a serious knee injury, and Johnson and Quentin Richardson
were traded away. The Suns were not expected to repeat their successful 2005 season, but with Nash directing the same high-tempo offence, the team compiled a respectable 54–28 record and won the division title
. The Suns were again the highest-scoring team in the league with seven players averaging double figures in points per game, and Nash was voted for the first time to start for the 2006 Western All-Star team. Having recorded career highs in points (18.8), rebounds (4.2), field goal percentage (.512) and free-throw percentage (a league-leading .921), and leading the league with 10.5 assists per game, Nash was named the league MVP for the second year in a row. In the first round of the playoffs
, Phoenix overcame a 3–1 deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers
and won the series 4–3. The Los Angeles Clippers
were their Conference Semifinals opponents, and the Suns again needed seven games to clinch the series. For the second year in a row however, the Suns bowed out in the Conference Finals, this time to Nash's former team, Dallas.
In the , Nash had another stellar campaign, averaging 18.6 points and a career-high 11.6 assists per game while becoming the first person since Magic Johnson in to average 18 points and 11 assists per game during the regular season. Nash received the most votes for first-team All-NBA and was joined by teammate Stoudemire; the two were the first teammates to make the first team since Kobe Bryant
and Shaquille O'Neal in . Nash received 129 first-place votes and 645 total points from the panel of 129 media members. He narrowly missed being MVP a third consecutive time, coming in second with 44 first place votes to 83 for Dirk Nowitzki
. In the playoffs
, the Suns eliminated the Lakers in five games, but were unable to overcome the Spurs in the Conference Semifinals, losing the series 4–2.
Nash played in 81 regular-season games during the ; in this campaign, the Western Conference was especially competitive and he led the Suns to 55 wins and the sixth seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs
. Although there was a dip in his regular-season output, Nash's shooting remained sharp; the accuracy of his shooting was on par with his 2005–06 MVP campaign (shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from the three-point arc, and 90% from the free throw line). On 31 January 2008, he collected his All-Star stripes for the sixth time in his career. However, Nash continued to experience agony in the playoffs. Despite a mid-season trade that sent Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat
and brought four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal to the team, the Suns were defeated in the first round of the playoffs
by the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in four years. In the deciding Game 5, Nash was perceived to have suffered from "elimination-game jitters", and turned over the ball twice in the final two minutes of what was a tight contest. Nevertheless, Nash was later named to the All-NBA Second Team for the 2007–08 season.
Before the began, coach D'Antoni was replaced by Terry Porter
, who preferred a more defensive-oriented style of basketball. The Suns had difficulties adapting to this new system, and even a December trade involving sending stalwarts Raja Bell
and Boris Diaw
to the Charlotte Bobcats
for athletic swingman
Jason Richardson
saw the team continue to struggle. Porter was then replaced by Alvin Gentry
in February after a 28–23 record, but the Suns were unable to secure the final seed for the playoffs
, resulting in Nash missing the playoffs for the first time since he returned to Phoenix for his second stint.
Nash and the Suns opened the with a series of strong performances, going 8–1 in their first nine games (a franchise-best since ), with Nash producing two 20-assists games. On 21 January 2010, Nash was named as the starting point guard for the West for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. With him operating at the point, the Suns were the highest-scoring team in the league for the fifth season in a row, and were seeded third in the conference for the playoffs
with 54 wins. Behind solid performances by Richardson and veteran Grant Hill
, the Suns defeated the Portland Trail Blazers
4–2 in the first round of the playoffs, and swept the Spurs 4–0 in the second round. The Suns met the defending champions, Los Angeles Lakers, in the Conference Finals. After losing the first two games, Phoenix won the next two to tie the series. A Ron Artest
buzzer-beater in Game 5 pushed the Lakers one game closer to the Finals, and Kobe Bryant
's 37 points in Game 6 completed the defeat of the Suns.
The Suns underwent two major roster changes in the . During the pre-season, Stoudemire left for New York
, while longtime teammate Leandro Barbosa
was traded for Hedo Türkoğlu. Josh Childress
and Hakim Warrick
were also recruited to join the Suns. Not long after the season began, Türkoğlu, Richardson, and Earl Clark
were traded to Orlando
for Vince Carter
, Marcin Gortat
, and Mickaël Piétrus
, while rising star Goran Dragic was traded to the Houston Rockets
for Aaron Brooks
. The Suns had difficulty being even a .500 team, and for the second time since Nash returned to Phoenix, the Suns failed to make the playoffs
.
and World University Games. He won a bronze medal at the Canada Games and won a silver medal at the World University Games, losing to Team USA
, which included players such as Michael Finley
and Damon Stoudamire
.
Nash captained Canada at the Sydney Olympics in 2000
. He led Canada to win their round robin group with a victory over Spain
and a stunning 83–75 win over favoured Yugoslavia when he scored 26 points with eight rebounds and eight assists. Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a loss to France
and Nash left the court in tears. Nash expressed disappointment with the result, saying "It hurts a lot. I feel like I let everybody down. We could have been in the championship game. We were good enough." Nevertheless, he did see a possible silver lining, saying "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play—that's what I really hope." A victory in its final game of the tournament, a placement game against Russia
, enabled Canada to salvage 7th place. Nash's Olympic performance propelled him to stardom in Canada and he finished fifth in voting for the 2000 Lionel Conacher Award
, which is handed out to the Canadian male athlete of the year.
Nash again led Team Canada during qualifying for the 2004 Summer Olympics
at the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico
. He was named tournament MVP, but Canada finished fourth, missing out on the three Olympic spots available. That was the last time Nash played for Canada. In December 2007, he said, "In my mind right now, I'm not going to play for Canada any more."
Nash is most noted for his playmaking, ball-handling skills and shooting. He led the league in assists for five years, averaging 11.5 assists per game in 2004–05, 10.5 in 2005–06, 11.6 in 2006–07, 11.0 in 2009–10 and 11.4 in 2010–11 and won the 2005 and 2010 NBA All-Star Skills Contests. As of the end of 2010–11 season, he has a 90.4% free-throw shooting average (tied for best in NBA history), a 42.9% career three-point
shooting average (eight-best in league history), and his total assists, assists per game, and three-point field goals made rank him as one of the top 10 players in league history. In addition, he is ranked third (starting from 1986–87) in regular season point-assist double doubles. In the 2005–06 season, Nash became the fourth player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better from the field, 40% from three-point range (43.9), and 90% from the line, joining Larry Bird
, Reggie Miller
and Mark Price
in the 50-40-90 Club
. This was a feat he would repeat in the 2006-07, 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10 campaigns. Only 11 times has a player shot 50-40-90 in an NBA season while also achieving the NBA league minimum number of makes. Nash (five times) and Larry Bird (three times) are the only players to have accomplished this feat more than once. A two-time NBA MVP, Nash is only the second point guard (along with Magic Johnson
) to win the MVP award multiple times and the third guard in NBA history to earn back-to-back MVPs (joining Johnson and Michael Jordan
). Only nine other NBA players have won back-to-back MVP awards: Johnson, Jordan, Bill Russell
, Wilt Chamberlain
, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
, Moses Malone
, Larry Bird
, Tim Duncan
, and LeBron James
. On 11 May 2006, ESPN
.com rated Nash as the 9th-best point guard of all time, and in a survey by nba.com in 2007, Nash received 85% of the votes by the league's general managers as best point guard in the league. In a similar survey in 2009, Nash was rated as the best passer of the ball and the player possessing the best basketball IQ. Commenting on Nash losing out to former teammate Dirk Nowitzki
for the 2007 NBA MVP, Boston Celtics
centre and Hall of Famer
Russell stated: "I think, on the world stage, he's one of our great athletes in all sports... I'm a big fan. The two MVPs he got, he deserved. Part of the reason that he's so good and so effective is that the guys like playing with him. He creates an atmosphere where they win games."
In terms of specific skills, Nash is particularly effective playing the pick and roll
, notably with Nowitzki when he was at Dallas and later with the Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion
. When Nash returned to Phoenix in 2004, he helped the Suns improve from a 29–53 record in 2003–04 to 62–20 in 2004–05, reaching the Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years, earning him his first MVP award. The next season, he led the Suns into the Conference Finals, despite the injuries of all three big men (Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas
and Brian Grant
); further, Nash was responsible for seven of his teammates attaining career-highs in season scoring. With Nash operating at the point, between the 2005–06 and 2009–10 seasons, the Suns led the league in field goal percentage.
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 65 || 2 || 10.5 || .423 || .418 || .824 || 1.0 || 2.1 || .3 || .0 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 76 || 9 || 21.9 || .459 || .415 || .860 || 2.1 || 3.4 || .8 || .1 || 9.1
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 40 || 40 || 31.7 || .363 || .374 || .826 || 2.9 || 5.5 || .9 || .1 || 7.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 56 || 27 || 27.4 || .477 || .403 || .882 || 2.2 || 4.9 || .7 || .1 || 8.6
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 70 || 70 || 34.1 || .487 || .406 || .895 || 3.2 || 7.3 || 1.0 || .1 || 15.6
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 82 || 82 || 34.6 || .483 || .455 || .887 || 3.1 || 7.7 || .6 || .1 || 17.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 82 || 82 || 33.1 || .465 || .413 || .909 || 2.9 || 7.3 || 1.0 || .1 || 17.7
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 78 || 78 || 33.5 || .470 || .405 || .916 || 3.0 || 8.8 || .9 || .1 || 14.5
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 75 || 75 || 34.3 || .502 || .431 || .887 || 3.3 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.5 || 1.0 || .1 || 15.5
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 79 || 79 || 35.4 || .512 || .439 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| .921 || 4.2 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 10.5 || .8 || .2 || 18.8
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 76 || 76 || 35.3 || .532 || .455 || .899 || 3.5 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.6 || .8 || .1 || 18.6
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 81 || 81 || 34.3 || .504 || .470 || .906 || 3.5 || 11.1 || .6 || .1 || 16.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 74 || 74 || 33.6 || .503 || .439 || .933 || 3.0 || 9.7 || .7 || .1 || 15.7
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 81 || 81 || 32.8 || .507 || .426 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| .938 || 3.3 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.0 || .5 || .2 || 16.5
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 75 || 75 || 33.3 || .492 || .395 || .912 || 3.5 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.4 || .6 || .0 || 14.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 1090 || 931 || 31.3 || .489 || .429 || .904 || 3.0 || 8.5 || .8 || .1 || 14.6
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 6 || 2 || 17.8 || .429 || .250 || .000 || 2.3 || 7.2 || .5 || .2 || 4.3
| align="left" | 1996–97
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 4 || 0 || 3.8 || .222 || .250 || .000 || .3 || .3 || .2 || .2 || 1.3
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 4 || 1 || 12.8 || .444 || .200 || .625 || 2.5 || 1.8 || .5 || .0 || 5.5
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Dallas
| 10 || 10 || 37.0 || .417 || .410 || .882 || 3.2 || 6.4 || .6 || .1 || 13.6
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Dallas
| 8 || 8 || 40.4 || .432 || .444 || .971 || 4.0 || 8.8 || .5 || .0 || 19.5
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Dallas
| 20 || 20 || 36.5 || .447 || .487 || .873 || 3.5 || 7.3 || .9 || .1 || 16.1
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Dallas
| 5 || 5 || 39.4 || .386 || .375 || .889 || 5.2 || 9.0 || .8 || .0 || 13.6
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 15 || 15 || 40.7 || .520 || .389 || .919 || 4.8 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.3 || .9 || .2 || 23.9
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 20 || 20 || 39.9 || .502 || .368 || .912 || 3.7 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 10.2 || .4 || .2 || 20.4
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 11 || 11 || 37.5 || .463 || .487 || .891 || 3.2 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 13.3 || .4 || .1 || 18.9
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 5 || 5 || 36.6 || .457 || .300 || .917 || 2.8 || 7.8 || .4 || .2 || 16.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 16 || 16 || 33.7 || .518 || .380 || .893 || 3.3 || 10.1 || .2 || .1 || 17.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 118 || 111 || 35.8 || .473 || .409 || .899 || 3.5 || 8.9 || .6 || .1 || 17.3
. They married in June 2005 and have twin daughters, Lola and Bella, born on October 14, 2004, and a son, Matteo Joel, born November 12, 2010. On the day of his son's birth, Nash made a statement to Life & Style
in which he announced the birth but called it a "bittersweet moment", revealing that he and his wife had "lived separately for the past several months" and are "in the process of dissolving" their marriage.
Nash's younger brother, Martin Nash, played soccer for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and made 30 appearances
for the Canadian national soccer team
. Their younger sister, Joann, was the captain of the University of Victoria Vikes
women's soccer team for three years and was named a Canada West Universities Athletic Association
All-Star
. She is married to Manny Malhotra
of the NHL Vancouver Canucks
.
Nash has a medical condition called spondylolisthesis
, which causes muscle tightness and back pain
. Due to the condition, when he is not in the game he lies on his back
rather than sitting on the bench to keep his muscles from stiffening.
, and British Columbia
, Canada. It was given charitable status in 2004. This foundation was awarded the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy in 2008. Nash also founded the Jim Jennings Memorial Endowment Fund, established in honour of a volunteer staff member at Santa Clara University who served the basketball team for more than 20 years.
Elsewhere, Nash is the sponsor of the Steve Nash Youth Basketball League in British Columbia that has grown over 10,000 participants. He has also become involved with GuluWalk, a Canadian-operated charitable organization that raises awareness and funds for the war-affected children of northern Uganda
. In September 2007, Nash and Yao Ming
headlined a group of NBA players who travelled to China and played an exhibition game with the Chinese national basketball team
. The charity event reportedly raised 2.5 million dollars, earmarked for Chinese children in need.
In May 2006, Nash was named by Time
as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In the accompanying write-up by Charles Barkley
, Nash was lauded for his unselfishness on the basketball court, and being "just a nice guy" who had paid for a new pediatric cardiology
ward in a Paraguay
an hospital. On 28 December 2007, it was announced that Nash would receive Canada's highest civilian honour, the Order of Canada
, and on 3 June 2008, it was announced that Nash would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame
. On 18 September 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Victoria
, in recognition of his athletic achievements and his philanthropic work on behalf of young people through the Steve Nash Foundation.
, Raymond Weil
watches, Vitamin Water, and Clearly Canadian bottled water. He also has a longstanding relationship with Nike
. Like fellow NBA stars Yao Ming, Carmelo Anthony
, and Greg Oden
, Nash is represented by agent
Bill Duffy.
arrived in the NBA from Germany, he and Nash became close friends, in part because they enjoyed watching soccer together. Nash is friends with several professional soccer players, including Alessandro Del Piero
, Thierry Henry
, Owen Hargreaves
, Massimo Ambrosini
and Steve McManaman
. During his off-season, when he lives in New York City
, he has trained with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
, and once tried to arrange a pick-up game in the city's Central Park
with the Red Bulls and one of his local teams.
Nash—whose father was born in the Tottenham
district of London
—is a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur supporter, and has expressed interest in owning a minority stake in the club. "I'd like to be an owner. It's something I could do for the rest of my life after my little window of popularity dies," he said in an interview with The New York Times
. Nash added, "I've been a passionate supporter all my life. My parents are from north London and so it's not like I'm some Yank who wants to make a profit out of football. I don't care about making money. I just want to see Spurs succeed and, if I can help, that's great." However, he said any participation in Spurs would come after his basketball career is over, and he has had only "casual contact" with chairman Daniel Levy and former director of football Damien Comolli
. Nash is also a fan of Brazilian team Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
, which his former Suns teammate Leandro Barbosa
supports. When Barbosa visited Corinthians in 2007, the club gave him a shirt with Nash's name and jersey number.
Nash had also previously made statements about his intention to bring Major League Soccer to Vancouver as early as 2011, which he has succeeded in doing. He joined the USL-1 Vancouver Whitecaps FC team's ownership group in July 2008 and in March 2009, Vancouver was officially named as a future MLS expansion city, set to join the league in 2011.
Nash, along with former Yahoo!
president and fellow Victoria
-native Jeff Mallett
, are investors in Women's Professional Soccer
, a soccer league that was launched in March 2009. Nash cited his twin daughters and wanting to have role models for them to look up to as a reason for supporting the league. Nash also co-hosted Showdown in Chinatown
in 2008, an 8-on-8 charity soccer game held at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. He scored two goals in his team's 8–5 victory. Participants included Thierry Henry
, Jason Kidd
, Baron Davis
, and Suns teammates Raja Bell
and Leandro Barbosa.
-based partner, Leonard Schlemm, opened the first Steve Nash Sports Club in the spring of 2007 in downtown Vancouver, a high-end, $5-million, 38500 square feet (3,576.8 m²) facility that will mirror Nash's own fitness philosophy.
In 2007, Nash wrote and produced an 81-second commercial for Nike
titled "Training Day", directed by Julian Schnabel
's daughter Lola, which gained popularity as a viral video
on YouTube
. Nash also started a film production company together with his cousin, filmmaker Ezra Holland, and intends to produce independent film
s. The first creative effort to come from Meathawk was a 91-second commercial, titled "The Sixty Million Dollar Man", for Nike's eco-friendly Trash Talk shoe, the first high-performance shoe to be made—at the behest of the environmentally conscious Nash—from recycled materials. Nash has worn the shoe since February 2008 but Nike produced only 5,000 pairs for sale. The ad which broke virally on Earth Day
2008, was written by Nash and the directors of the spot, Danny Vaia and Ezra Holland. It is a spoof remake of the title sequence
of the American television series The Six Million Dollar Man
and plays on Nash’s numerous on-court collisions. Amar'e Stoudemire and Raja Bell
have cameo appearance
s. Nash and Holland also co-directed the documentary Into the Wind
, about iconic Canadian athlete and activist Terry Fox
, as part of ESPN's 30 for 30
series.
For the 2010 Winter Olympics
held in Vancouver, Nash became the first NBA player in Olympic history to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, OBC
Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
(born 7 February 1974) is a South African
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
-born Canadian professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who plays point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
for the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara University. In his four seasons with the Broncos, the team made three NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances, and Nash was twice named the West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
Player of the Year.
After graduating from Santa Clara as the team's all-time leader in assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
, Nash entered the 1996 NBA Draft
1996 NBA Draft
The 1996 NBA Draft was the 50th draft in the National Basketball Association . It was held on June 26, 1996 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the Turner Network Television...
and was selected as the 15th pick by the Phoenix Suns. He made a minimal impact, and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in 1998. By his third season with the Mavericks, he was voted into his first NBA All-Star Game and had earned his first All-NBA selection. Together with Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
and Michael Finley
Michael Finley
Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
, Nash led the Mavericks to the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
Finals the following season. However, he became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after the and returned to the Phoenix Suns.
In the , Nash led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was named MVP again in the , and missed out on a third consecutive MVP title to Nowitzki the next season. Named by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 2006 as the ninth greatest point guard of all time, Nash has led the league in assists and free-throw percentage at various points in his career. He is also ranked as one of the top players in NBA league history for three-point shooting
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
, free-throw shooting, total assists and assists per game.
Nash has been honoured for his contributions to various philanthropic causes. In 2006, he was named by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He also received the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 2007, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
in 2008.
Early life
Nash was born in JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to a Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
mother and an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
father on 7 February 1974. His family moved to Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, when he was 18 months old, then to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, before finally settling in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Although Nash played soccer and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, often with his younger brother Martin, he did not start playing basketball until he was 12 or 13. However, in grade eight, he told his mother that one day he would play in the NBA and become a star.
High school
Nash originally attended Mount Douglas Secondary School, but after his grades began to drop, his parents decided to enroll him at St. Michaels University SchoolSt. Michaels University School
St. Michaels University School is a private day and boarding school in the municipality of Saanich, which is a suburb of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The school is currently under the direction of headmaster Robert Snowden...
, a private boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. At St. Michaels, he starred in basketball, soccer, and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. While playing basketball during his senior season, Nash averaged 21.3 points
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
, 11.2 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
, and 9.1 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
per game. In the 1991–92 season, he led his team in his final year to the British Columbia AAA provincial championship title, and was named the province's Player of the Year.
College career
Although Nash's high school coach, Ian Hyde-Lay, sent letters of inquiry and highlight reels on Nash's behalf to over 30 American universities, Nash was not recruited by any university, until Santa Clara coach Dick Davey requested video footage of the young guard. After watching Nash in person, Davey said he "was nervous as hell just hoping that no one else would see him. It didn't take a Nobel PrizeNobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner to figure out this guy's pretty good. It was just a case of hoping that none of the big names came around." However, Davey also told Nash that he was "the worst defensive player" he had ever seen.
Nash was awarded a scholarship by Santa Clara for the 1992–93 season
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
. At that time, it had been five years since the Broncos appeared in the NCAA tournament. That changed when Nash led the Broncos to a West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
(WCC) Tournament title and an upset win over the No. 2 seeded Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
in the first round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In that game, Nash scored six straight free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
s in the last 30 seconds of the contest. Although Santa Clara was defeated by Temple
Temple Owls men's basketball
The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in the Atlantic 10 Conference at the Division I level. The program is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The head men's basketball coach is Fran Dunphy.-History:...
in the next round, the 1992–93 campaign was considered a successful one. However, the Broncos failed to sustain the momentum the following season, and only managed a 5–7 record in the conference. The team rebounded in the 1994–95 season
1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1995, and ended with the championship game on April 3 at the Kingdome in Seattle,...
, with Nash being named Conference Player of the Year and the Broncos topping the WCC. Featuring the league leader for scoring and assists in Nash, the Broncos returned to the NCAA tournament, but they were defeated by Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball
The Mississippi State Bulldogs basketball program represents Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS in men's NCAA Division I basketball. The Bulldogs play in the Southeastern Conference and are currently coached by Rick Stansbury. As of the 2010 season the Bulldogs are 1272-1056...
. After the season, Nash contemplated turning professional, and decided against it when he learned that he would probably not be considered as a first-round pick in the 1995 NBA Draft
1995 NBA Draft
The 1995 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1995 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies...
.
In the 1995–96 season
1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...
, Nash began attracting the attention of the national media and professional scouts. He had spent the summer before that honing his skills, playing with the Canadian national team and working out with the likes of established NBA players Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
and Gary Payton
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton is a former American professional basketball point guard. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals...
. Santa Clara again captured the WCC title, and for the second consecutive year, Nash was named Conference Player of the Year, the first Bronco to do so since Kurt Rambis
Kurt Rambis
Darrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-Biography:...
. He scored 28 points in leading the #10 seed Broncos to a first round upset win over #7 seed Maryland
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
, but then the Broncos were eliminated by Kansas. Nash's performances ensured that he was named Honorable Mention All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
as a senior by The Associated Press and the USBWA. He also finished his career as Santa Clara's all-time leader in career assists (510), free-throw percentage (.862), and made and attempted three-pointers (263–656). He remains third on the school's all-time scoring list (1,689), and holds Santa Clara's single-season free-throw percentage record (.894). In September 2006, Nash had his jersey (#11) retired, becoming the first Santa Clara student-athlete to receive that honour.
NCAA career statistics
|-| align="left" | 1992–93
| align="left" | Santa Clara
| 31 || ... || 24.0 || .424 || .408 || .825 || 2.5 || 2.2 || .8 || .1 || 8.1
|-
| align="left" | 1993–94
| align="left" | Santa Clara
| 26 || ... || 29.9 || .414 || .399 || .831 || 2.5 || 3.7 || 1.3 || .0 || 14.6
|-
| align="left" | 1994–95
| align="left" | Santa Clara
| 27 || ... || 33.4 || .444 || .454 || .879 || 3.8 || 6.4 || 1.8 || .1 || 20.9
|-
| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Santa Clara
| 29 || ... || 33.8 || .430 || .344 || .894 || 3.6 || 6.0 || 1.3 || .0 || 17.0
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Career
| 113 || ... || 30.1 || .430 || .401 || .867 || 3.1 || 4.5 || 1.3 || .1 || 14.9
NBA career
Phoenix Suns (1996–98)
After graduating with a degree in sociology, Nash was selected 15th overall by the Phoenix SunsPhoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft
1996 NBA Draft
The 1996 NBA Draft was the 50th draft in the National Basketball Association . It was held on June 26, 1996 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the Turner Network Television...
. Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the relatively unknown player. This was because despite his impressive college accomplishments, Nash had not played in one of the major college conferences
BCS conference
An Automatic Qualifying conference is an athletic conference in NCAA Division I FBS whose champion receives an automatic berth in one of the five Bowl Championship Series bowl games...
. During his first two seasons in the NBA, Nash played a supporting role behind NBA star point guards Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
, Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
, and later, Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
. Both Johnson and Cassell had NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
experience, while Kidd was the second overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft
1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
and already an All-Star when he arrived at Phoenix.
In his rookie season, Nash only managed 10.5 minutes a game, but in his second season, his playing time increased significantly and he was even ranked 13th in the league for three-point field-goal percentage. Nevertheless, the Canadian's tenure with the Suns did not last. While at Santa Clara, Nash had met and befriended Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
assistant coach Donnie Nelson
Donnie Nelson
Donnie Nelson is the General Manager and president of basketball operations for the NBA team the Dallas Mavericks. Donnie attended Worcester Academy for High School. He is the son of Don Nelson, the former head coach of the Golden State Warriors...
, who worked for the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
at that time. After moving to Dallas, Nelson was able to convince his father, Don Nelson
Don Nelson
Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors....
—then the Mavericks coach and general manager—to acquire the under-utilised Nash. Following the 1998 NBA Draft
1998 NBA Draft
The 1998 NBA Draft took place on June 24, 1998 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around three struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Toronto Raptors....
, Nash was traded from the Suns to the Mavericks in exchange for Martin Müürsepp
Martin Müürsepp
Martin Müürsepp is an Estonian retired professional basketball player and basketball coach.-Club career:...
, Bubba Wells
Bubba Wells
Charles Richard "Bubba" Wells is a retired American professional basketball player. He played briefly for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA...
, the draft rights to Pat Garrity and a first-round draft pick (who later turned out to be future Phoenix team-mate Shawn Marion
Shawn Marion
Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion...
).
Dallas Mavericks (1998–2004)
It was in Dallas that Nash established himself as a formidable point guard, beginning a decade as one of the game's top players. During his first year as a Maverick (the lockoutLockout (industry)
A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.- Causes :...
-shortened ) he started in all 40 games he played in, and averaged 7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. The 19–31 Mavericks failed to make the playoffs
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
but in the 1999–2000 season, the team's prospects improved considerably. Nash missed 25 mid-season games due to an ankle injury, but came back to record six double-doubles in the last month of play. He finished the season with averages of 8.6 points and 4.9 assists per game. More importantly for the team, second-year teammate and friend Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
was blossoming quickly into a top player, veteran Michael Finley
Michael Finley
Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
was having an All-Star
National Basketball Association All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. From that year on, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Conference with the best players in the Western Conference....
-calibre year, and the team's new owner, billionaire Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is an American business magnate and investor. He is the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet....
, was bringing new energy and excitement to the franchise. Nash now had a supportive environment in which he could thrive.
In the , Nash averaged 15.6 points and 7.3 assists per game in a breakout season. With Nash directing the team's offense, Nowitzki and Finley playing at their best, and the acquisition of All-Star Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
complementing the high-scoring trio, the Mavericks earned a playoff berth
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
for the first time in more than a decade. Dallas lost in the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
Semifinals four games to one to the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, but it marked the beginning of a memorable run for Nash and the Mavericks. In the , Nash posted career-highs of 17.9 points and 7.7 assists per game and earned a spot in the NBA All-Star Game and on the All-NBA Third Team. He was now an All-Star, increasingly appearing in television commercials and, with Finley and Nowitzki, a part of the Dallas Mavericks "Big Three." Dallas earned another trip to the playoffs
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
but lost again in the Semifinals to the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
four games to one.
Nash closely replicated his previous season's performance in the , averaging 17.7 points and 7.3 assists per game, again earning All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honours. Nowitzki and Nash led the Mavericks from a 14-game winning streak to open the season all the way to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs four games to two. It was only the second Conference Finals appearance in the franchise's history. The saw an offensively boosted Mavericks roster (with the acquisitions of Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
and Antawn Jamison
Antawn Jamison
Antawn Cortez Jamison is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He currently plays power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a member of the USA National Team for the 2006 FIBA World Championships...
) but a dip in Nash's scoring contributions. As a result he was not selected for the All-Star and All-NBA team rosters even though he achieved new career highs in assists per game (8.8) and free-throw accuracy (91.6%). In the playoffs
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
, the fifth-seeded Dallas failed to make progress yet again as the Sacramento Kings saw them off four games to one.
After the 2003–04 season, Nash became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He attempted to negotiate a long-term contract with Cuban, who was paying Walker, Finley, Nowitzki and Jamison nearly $50 million in combined salaries that season. Cuban wanted to build his franchise around the younger Nowitzki and did not want to risk signing the 30-year-old Nash to a long-term deal, and offered Nash a four-year deal worth about $9 million annually, with a fifth year partially guaranteed. The Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
on the other hand offered the point guard a six-year, $63 million contract. Nash was reluctant to leave Dallas and returned to Cuban to see if he would match the deal; Cuban did not, and Nash signed for the Suns for the . The Canadian would go on to win two League MVP
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
awards with Phoenix, and on a 14 June 2006 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Cuban wondered out loud, "... you know Steve's a great guy and I love him to death, but why couldn't he play like an MVP for us?"
Return to Phoenix Suns (2004–present)
Nash joined a Suns team which had emerging young players in Shawn MarionShawn Marion
Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion...
, Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson (basketball)
Joe Marcus Johnson is an American professional basketball player, currently a member of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. Johnson stands at 6'7" and 240 lbs ....
and Amar'e Stoudemire. In the season before Nash arrived, the Suns had recorded a 29–53 win–loss record, and they were projected to have another poor season. Head coach Mike D'Antoni
Mike D'Antoni
Michael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
favoured an up-tempo style of basketball; this required smaller and more athletic players with the capability to outrun and outshoot their opponents. Nash's familiarity with this style combined with the athleticism of his teammates produced an NBA-best 62–20 record and a points-per-game average of 110.4, the highest in a decade. The catalyst of this turnaround, Nash averaged 11.5 assists per game while making 50.2% of his field goals and 43.1% of his three-pointers in the regular season. He edged Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
to win the NBA MVP award
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
, becoming the first Canadian to earn the honour, as well as the third point guard ever to be named MVP, along with Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
and Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
. In the playoffs
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
, Phoenix swept the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
in four games before meeting the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in the second round. Nash led the Suns to a 4–2 series win, and the Suns reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1993, but lost to the eventual NBA Champions and arch-rival, the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, in five games.
Quentin Richardson
Quentin Richardson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic...
were traded away. The Suns were not expected to repeat their successful 2005 season, but with Nash directing the same high-tempo offence, the team compiled a respectable 54–28 record and won the division title
Pacific Division (NBA)
The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings...
. The Suns were again the highest-scoring team in the league with seven players averaging double figures in points per game, and Nash was voted for the first time to start for the 2006 Western All-Star team. Having recorded career highs in points (18.8), rebounds (4.2), field goal percentage (.512) and free-throw percentage (a league-leading .921), and leading the league with 10.5 assists per game, Nash was named the league MVP for the second year in a row. In the first round of the playoffs
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
, Phoenix overcame a 3–1 deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and won the series 4–3. The Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
were their Conference Semifinals opponents, and the Suns again needed seven games to clinch the series. For the second year in a row however, the Suns bowed out in the Conference Finals, this time to Nash's former team, Dallas.
In the , Nash had another stellar campaign, averaging 18.6 points and a career-high 11.6 assists per game while becoming the first person since Magic Johnson in to average 18 points and 11 assists per game during the regular season. Nash received the most votes for first-team All-NBA and was joined by teammate Stoudemire; the two were the first teammates to make the first team since Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
and Shaquille O'Neal in . Nash received 129 first-place votes and 645 total points from the panel of 129 media members. He narrowly missed being MVP a third consecutive time, coming in second with 44 first place votes to 83 for Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
. In the playoffs
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
, the Suns eliminated the Lakers in five games, but were unable to overcome the Spurs in the Conference Semifinals, losing the series 4–2.
Nash played in 81 regular-season games during the ; in this campaign, the Western Conference was especially competitive and he led the Suns to 55 wins and the sixth seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
. Although there was a dip in his regular-season output, Nash's shooting remained sharp; the accuracy of his shooting was on par with his 2005–06 MVP campaign (shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from the three-point arc, and 90% from the free throw line). On 31 January 2008, he collected his All-Star stripes for the sixth time in his career. However, Nash continued to experience agony in the playoffs. Despite a mid-season trade that sent Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
and brought four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal to the team, the Suns were defeated in the first round of the playoffs
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
by the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in four years. In the deciding Game 5, Nash was perceived to have suffered from "elimination-game jitters", and turned over the ball twice in the final two minutes of what was a tight contest. Nevertheless, Nash was later named to the All-NBA Second Team for the 2007–08 season.
Before the began, coach D'Antoni was replaced by Terry Porter
Terry Porter
Terry Porter is an American professional basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association . A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA Draft...
, who preferred a more defensive-oriented style of basketball. The Suns had difficulties adapting to this new system, and even a December trade involving sending stalwarts Raja Bell
Raja Bell
Raja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...
and Boris Diaw
Boris Diaw
Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod, better known as Boris Diaw , is a French professional basketball player for JSA Bordeaux in France. He has also played in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, and Charlotte Bobcats...
to the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
for athletic swingman
Swingman
A Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...
Jason Richardson
Jason Richardson
Jason Anthoney "J-Rich" Richardson is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association.A 6'6", 225 lb...
saw the team continue to struggle. Porter was then replaced by Alvin Gentry
Alvin Gentry
Alvin Gentry is an American professional basketball coach, and college basketball player, who has led four different NBA teams. He served as an interim coach for the Miami Heat at the end of the 1995 season, and later coached the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Clippers...
in February after a 28–23 record, but the Suns were unable to secure the final seed for the playoffs
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
, resulting in Nash missing the playoffs for the first time since he returned to Phoenix for his second stint.
Nash and the Suns opened the with a series of strong performances, going 8–1 in their first nine games (a franchise-best since ), with Nash producing two 20-assists games. On 21 January 2010, Nash was named as the starting point guard for the West for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. With him operating at the point, the Suns were the highest-scoring team in the league for the fifth season in a row, and were seeded third in the conference for the playoffs
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
with 54 wins. Behind solid performances by Richardson and veteran Grant Hill
Grant Hill
Grant Hill is the name of:* Grant Hill, American basketball player* Grant Hill , Canadian politician* Grant Hill, San Diego, California, an urban neighboorhood in central San Diego...
, the Suns defeated the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
4–2 in the first round of the playoffs, and swept the Spurs 4–0 in the second round. The Suns met the defending champions, Los Angeles Lakers, in the Conference Finals. After losing the first two games, Phoenix won the next two to tie the series. A Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
buzzer-beater in Game 5 pushed the Lakers one game closer to the Finals, and Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
's 37 points in Game 6 completed the defeat of the Suns.
The Suns underwent two major roster changes in the . During the pre-season, Stoudemire left for New York
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, while longtime teammate Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Mateus Barbosa is a Brazilian professional basketball player, who plays at the guard position with Flamengo Basketball in Brazil. He is also under contract with the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors, and is expected to return to that team once the 2011 NBA lockout ends...
was traded for Hedo Türkoğlu. Josh Childress
Josh Childress
Joshua Malik Childress is an American professional basketball player with the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. He previously played with the pro club Olympiacos Piraeus in the Greek A1 League and the Euroleague, as well as the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA.-High school career:Childress attended Mayfair High...
and Hakim Warrick
Hakim Warrick
Hakim Hanif Warrick is an American professional basketball player in the NBA who is currently with the Phoenix Suns. Commonly nicknamed "Helicopter" and "Skinny", the 6'9", 219 lb forward was a major part the Syracuse Orange's run to the 2003 National Championship, often being most remembered...
were also recruited to join the Suns. Not long after the season began, Türkoğlu, Richardson, and Earl Clark
Earl Clark
Earl Rashad Clark is an American professional basketball player. Clark played collegiate basketball for the University of Louisville men's basketball team and was drafted 14th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2009 NBA Draft....
were traded to Orlando
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
for Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
, Marcin Gortat
Marcin Gortat
Marcin Gortat, pronounced "MAHR-cheen GOR-taht" , also known as the Polish Hammer, is a Polish professional basketball player who plays the center position for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. The 6'11", 240 pound power forward/center is the son of boxer Janusz Gortat...
, and Mickaël Piétrus
Mickaël Piétrus
Mickaël Piétrus is a Caribbean-French professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. He is listed at 6'6", 215 pounds and plays both the small forward and shooting guard positions...
, while rising star Goran Dragic was traded to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
for Aaron Brooks
Aaron Brooks (basketball)
Aaron Jamal Brooks is an American basketball player who is currently a point guard for the Guangdong Southern Tigers. He was selected 26th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft...
. The Suns had difficulty being even a .500 team, and for the second time since Nash returned to Phoenix, the Suns failed to make the playoffs
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
.
International career
In 1993, while in college, Nash played for the national team and competed in the Canada GamesCanada Games
The Canada Games is a high-level multi-sport event with a National Artists Program held every two years in Canada, alternating between the Canada Winter Games and the Canada Summer Games. Athletes are strictly amateur only, and represent their province or territory.The Games were first held in 1967...
and World University Games. He won a bronze medal at the Canada Games and won a silver medal at the World University Games, losing to Team USA
United States national basketball team
The United States men's national basketball team represents the United States of America in international men's basketball. The USA is the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in all sixteen Olympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with thirteen golds...
, which included players such as Michael Finley
Michael Finley
Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
and Damon Stoudamire
Damon Stoudamire
Damon Lamon Stoudamire is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. The , point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the...
.
Nash captained Canada at the Sydney Olympics in 2000
Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
-Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification matches:-Preliminary round:The four best teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinal round.-Group A:-Group B:-Championship bracket:...
. He led Canada to win their round robin group with a victory over Spain
Spain national basketball team
The Spanish national basketball team is the basketball team representing Spain in international competitions, organized and run by the Spanish Basketball Federation...
and a stunning 83–75 win over favoured Yugoslavia when he scored 26 points with eight rebounds and eight assists. Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a loss to France
France national basketball team
The French national basketball team is the national basketball team representing France. It is administrated by the Fédération Française de Basket-Ball . The team has been competitive, but has yet to win a major international tournament...
and Nash left the court in tears. Nash expressed disappointment with the result, saying "It hurts a lot. I feel like I let everybody down. We could have been in the championship game. We were good enough." Nevertheless, he did see a possible silver lining, saying "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play—that's what I really hope." A victory in its final game of the tournament, a placement game against Russia
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
, enabled Canada to salvage 7th place. Nash's Olympic performance propelled him to stardom in Canada and he finished fifth in voting for the 2000 Lionel Conacher Award
Lionel Conacher Award
The Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the best male and female athletes were conducted beginning...
, which is handed out to the Canadian male athlete of the year.
Nash again led Team Canada during qualifying for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
at the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. He was named tournament MVP, but Canada finished fourth, missing out on the three Olympic spots available. That was the last time Nash played for Canada. In December 2007, he said, "In my mind right now, I'm not going to play for Canada any more."
Player profile
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
shooting average (eight-best in league history), and his total assists, assists per game, and three-point field goals made rank him as one of the top 10 players in league history. In addition, he is ranked third (starting from 1986–87) in regular season point-assist double doubles. In the 2005–06 season, Nash became the fourth player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better from the field, 40% from three-point range (43.9), and 90% from the line, joining Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
, Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
and Mark Price
Mark Price
William Mark Price is a retired American basketball player who played for 12 seasons in the NBA, from 1986 to 1998...
in the 50-40-90 Club
50-40-90 Club (NBA)
The 50–40–90 Club is an informal term referring to the very exclusive group of National Basketball Association players who have had a shooting percentage at or above 50% for field goals, 40% for three-point field goals, and 90% for free throws during an entire NBA season while also achieving the...
. This was a feat he would repeat in the 2006-07, 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10 campaigns. Only 11 times has a player shot 50-40-90 in an NBA season while also achieving the NBA league minimum number of makes. Nash (five times) and Larry Bird (three times) are the only players to have accomplished this feat more than once. A two-time NBA MVP, Nash is only the second point guard (along with Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
) to win the MVP award multiple times and the third guard in NBA history to earn back-to-back MVPs (joining Johnson and Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
). Only nine other NBA players have won back-to-back MVP awards: Johnson, Jordan, Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
, Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
, Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association...
, Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
, Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
, and LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
. On 11 May 2006, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.com rated Nash as the 9th-best point guard of all time, and in a survey by nba.com in 2007, Nash received 85% of the votes by the league's general managers as best point guard in the league. In a similar survey in 2009, Nash was rated as the best passer of the ball and the player possessing the best basketball IQ. Commenting on Nash losing out to former teammate Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
for the 2007 NBA MVP, Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
centre and Hall of Famer
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
Russell stated: "I think, on the world stage, he's one of our great athletes in all sports... I'm a big fan. The two MVPs he got, he deserved. Part of the reason that he's so good and so effective is that the guys like playing with him. He creates an atmosphere where they win games."
In terms of specific skills, Nash is particularly effective playing the pick and roll
Pick and roll
The pick and roll in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen for a teammate handling the ball and then slips behind the defender to accept a pass...
, notably with Nowitzki when he was at Dallas and later with the Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion
Shawn Marion
Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion...
. When Nash returned to Phoenix in 2004, he helped the Suns improve from a 29–53 record in 2003–04 to 62–20 in 2004–05, reaching the Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years, earning him his first MVP award. The next season, he led the Suns into the Conference Finals, despite the injuries of all three big men (Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas
Kurt Thomas (basketball)
Kurt Vincent Thomas is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Bulls. Thomas is a 6'9", 230 lb. power forward/center known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense. Drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995, Thomas played college basketball at Texas...
and Brian Grant
Brian Grant
Brian Wade Grant is a retired American basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions for five teams during 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He was known for his tenacious rebounding and blue-collar defense...
); further, Nash was responsible for seven of his teammates attaining career-highs in season scoring. With Nash operating at the point, between the 2005–06 and 2009–10 seasons, the Suns led the league in field goal percentage.
NBA career statistics
- Correct as of 25 May 2011
| Led the league |
Regular season
|-| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
| 65 || 2 || 10.5 || .423 || .418 || .824 || 1.0 || 2.1 || .3 || .0 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 76 || 9 || 21.9 || .459 || .415 || .860 || 2.1 || 3.4 || .8 || .1 || 9.1
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 40 || 40 || 31.7 || .363 || .374 || .826 || 2.9 || 5.5 || .9 || .1 || 7.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 56 || 27 || 27.4 || .477 || .403 || .882 || 2.2 || 4.9 || .7 || .1 || 8.6
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 70 || 70 || 34.1 || .487 || .406 || .895 || 3.2 || 7.3 || 1.0 || .1 || 15.6
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 82 || 82 || 34.6 || .483 || .455 || .887 || 3.1 || 7.7 || .6 || .1 || 17.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 82 || 82 || 33.1 || .465 || .413 || .909 || 2.9 || 7.3 || 1.0 || .1 || 17.7
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 78 || 78 || 33.5 || .470 || .405 || .916 || 3.0 || 8.8 || .9 || .1 || 14.5
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
| 75 || 75 || 34.3 || .502 || .431 || .887 || 3.3 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.5 || 1.0 || .1 || 15.5
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 79 || 79 || 35.4 || .512 || .439 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| .921 || 4.2 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 10.5 || .8 || .2 || 18.8
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 76 || 76 || 35.3 || .532 || .455 || .899 || 3.5 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.6 || .8 || .1 || 18.6
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 81 || 81 || 34.3 || .504 || .470 || .906 || 3.5 || 11.1 || .6 || .1 || 16.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 74 || 74 || 33.6 || .503 || .439 || .933 || 3.0 || 9.7 || .7 || .1 || 15.7
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 81 || 81 || 32.8 || .507 || .426 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| .938 || 3.3 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.0 || .5 || .2 || 16.5
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 75 || 75 || 33.3 || .492 || .395 || .912 || 3.5 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.4 || .6 || .0 || 14.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 1090 || 931 || 31.3 || .489 || .429 || .904 || 3.0 || 8.5 || .8 || .1 || 14.6
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 6 || 2 || 17.8 || .429 || .250 || .000 || 2.3 || 7.2 || .5 || .2 || 4.3
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 1996–97
1997 NBA Playoffs
The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...
| align="left" | Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
| 4 || 0 || 3.8 || .222 || .250 || .000 || .3 || .3 || .2 || .2 || 1.3
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 4 || 1 || 12.8 || .444 || .200 || .625 || 2.5 || 1.8 || .5 || .0 || 5.5
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 10 || 10 || 37.0 || .417 || .410 || .882 || 3.2 || 6.4 || .6 || .1 || 13.6
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
| align="left" | Dallas
| 8 || 8 || 40.4 || .432 || .444 || .971 || 4.0 || 8.8 || .5 || .0 || 19.5
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
| align="left" | Dallas
| 20 || 20 || 36.5 || .447 || .487 || .873 || 3.5 || 7.3 || .9 || .1 || 16.1
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
| align="left" | Dallas
| 5 || 5 || 39.4 || .386 || .375 || .889 || 5.2 || 9.0 || .8 || .0 || 13.6
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
| align="left" | Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
| 15 || 15 || 40.7 || .520 || .389 || .919 || 4.8 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.3 || .9 || .2 || 23.9
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 20 || 20 || 39.9 || .502 || .368 || .912 || 3.7 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 10.2 || .4 || .2 || 20.4
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 11 || 11 || 37.5 || .463 || .487 || .891 || 3.2 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 13.3 || .4 || .1 || 18.9
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 5 || 5 || 36.6 || .457 || .300 || .917 || 2.8 || 7.8 || .4 || .2 || 16.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 16 || 16 || 33.7 || .518 || .380 || .893 || 3.3 || 10.1 || .2 || .1 || 17.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 118 || 111 || 35.8 || .473 || .409 || .899 || 3.5 || 8.9 || .6 || .1 || 17.3
NBA career highlights
- 2× NBA Most Valuable PlayerNBA Most Valuable Player AwardThe National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
: 2005, 2006 - 7× NBA All-StarNational Basketball Association All-Star GameThe National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. From that year on, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Conference with the best players in the Western Conference....
: 2002–03, 2005–08, 2010 - 7× All-NBA selection:
- First team: 2005–07
- Second team: 2008, 2010
- Third team: 2002, 2003
- 2× NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge winner: 2005, 2010
- 5× NBA regular season leader for assists per game: 2005 (11.5), 2006 (10.5), 2007 (11.6), 2010 (11.0), 2011 (11.4)
- 5× NBA regular season leader for total assists: 2005 (861), 2006 (826), 2007 (884), 2010 (892), 2011 (855)
- 2× NBA regular season leader for free-throw percentage: 2006 (.921), 2010 (.938)
- 7× NBA regular season leader for assists per 48 minutes: 2004 (12.6), 2005 (16.1), 2006 (14.2), 2007 (15.8), 2008 (15.5), 2010 (16.1), 2011 (16.4)
- 4× member of 50-40-90 Club50-40-90 Club (NBA)The 50–40–90 Club is an informal term referring to the very exclusive group of National Basketball Association players who have had a shooting percentage at or above 50% for field goals, 40% for three-point field goals, and 90% for free throws during an entire NBA season while also achieving the...
: (2006, 2008–10)- Has more 50-40-90 seasons than any other player in NBA history
- One of only five players to have ever shot 50-40-90
- One of only two players to have shot 50-40-90 more than once
- Lou Marsh TrophyLou Marsh TrophyThe Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936...
(Canadian athlete of the year): 2005 - 3× Lionel Conacher AwardLionel Conacher AwardThe Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the best male and female athletes were conducted beginning...
(Canadian male athlete of the year): 2002, 2005, 2006 - J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship AwardJ. Walter Kennedy Citizenship AwardThe J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1974–75 NBA season to a player, coach, or trainer who shows "outstanding service and dedication to the community"...
(NBA award for outstanding citizenship and community service): 2007
Off the court
Personal life
In 2001, Nash met Alejandra Amarilla in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. They married in June 2005 and have twin daughters, Lola and Bella, born on October 14, 2004, and a son, Matteo Joel, born November 12, 2010. On the day of his son's birth, Nash made a statement to Life & Style
Life & Style (magazine)
Life & Style, officially Life & Style Weekly is an American celebrity gossip magazine, launched in 2004 by the Bauer publishing conglomerate....
in which he announced the birth but called it a "bittersweet moment", revealing that he and his wife had "lived separately for the past several months" and are "in the process of dissolving" their marriage.
Nash's younger brother, Martin Nash, played soccer for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and made 30 appearances
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for the Canadian national soccer team
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
. Their younger sister, Joann, was the captain of the University of Victoria Vikes
Victoria Vikes
The Victoria Vikes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Victoria of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in Canadian Interuniversity Sport.The Vikes have both men's and women's teams in the following sports:* Basketball* Cross country...
women's soccer team for three years and was named a Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Canada West Universities Athletic Association
The Canada West Universities Athletic Association is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and...
All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
. She is married to Manny Malhotra
Manny Malhotra
Emmanuel Noveen Malhotra is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , serving as an alternate captain. During his NHL career he has additionally played for the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks and New...
of the NHL Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
.
Nash has a medical condition called spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis describes the anterior or posterior displacement of a vertebra or the vertebral column in relation to the vertebrae below. It was first described in 1782 by Belgian obstetrician, Dr. Herbinaux. He reported a bony prominence anterior to the sacrum that obstructed the vagina of a...
, which causes muscle tightness and back pain
Back pain
Back pain is pain felt in the back that usually originates from the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine.The pain can often be divided into neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain or tailbone pain...
. Due to the condition, when he is not in the game he lies on his back
Supine position
The supine position is a position of the body: lying down with the face up, as opposed to the prone position, which is face down, sometimes with the hands behind the head or neck. When used in surgical procedures, it allows access to the peritoneal, thoracic and pericardial regions; as well as the...
rather than sitting on the bench to keep his muscles from stiffening.
Charity
In 2001, Nash formed the Steve Nash Foundation. Through grants to public service and nonprofit entities, the foundation aims to foster health in kids by funding projects that provide services to children affected by poverty, illness, abuse, or neglect, and create opportunity for education, play, and empowerment. It focuses its resources on communities in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada. It was given charitable status in 2004. This foundation was awarded the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy in 2008. Nash also founded the Jim Jennings Memorial Endowment Fund, established in honour of a volunteer staff member at Santa Clara University who served the basketball team for more than 20 years.
Elsewhere, Nash is the sponsor of the Steve Nash Youth Basketball League in British Columbia that has grown over 10,000 participants. He has also become involved with GuluWalk, a Canadian-operated charitable organization that raises awareness and funds for the war-affected children of northern Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. In September 2007, Nash and Yao Ming
Yao Ming
Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
headlined a group of NBA players who travelled to China and played an exhibition game with the Chinese national basketball team
China national basketball team
The Chinese men's national basketball team is the basketball team representing China in international competitions. The governing body of Chinese basketball operations is the Basketball Association of China...
. The charity event reportedly raised 2.5 million dollars, earmarked for Chinese children in need.
In May 2006, Nash was named by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In the accompanying write-up by Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, Nash was lauded for his unselfishness on the basketball court, and being "just a nice guy" who had paid for a new pediatric cardiology
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
ward in a Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
an hospital. On 28 December 2007, it was announced that Nash would receive Canada's highest civilian honour, the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, and on 3 June 2008, it was announced that Nash would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
. On 18 September 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
, in recognition of his athletic achievements and his philanthropic work on behalf of young people through the Steve Nash Foundation.
Endorsements
Nash is known to be selective about endorsing products, preferring to work with companies he deems socially responsible. After winning his first MVP award, he was approached to be the spokesperson for numerous products, including MDG ComputersMDG Computers
MDG Computers Canada Inc. is a Canadian-owned manufacturer, distributor and retailer of personal computers , notebooks and related products and accessories...
, Raymond Weil
Raymond Weil
Raymond Weil Genève is a Swiss watchmaker, founded in 1976 in Geneva, Switzerland. It is one of the last independent brands in the Swiss luxury watch industry.-History:The company was created by Raymond Weil, now Chairman...
watches, Vitamin Water, and Clearly Canadian bottled water. He also has a longstanding relationship with Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
. Like fellow NBA stars Yao Ming, Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...
, and Greg Oden
Greg Oden
Gregory Wayne Oden, Jr. is an American basketball player at the center position. Oden is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA....
, Nash is represented by agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
Bill Duffy.
Soccer
Nash grew up playing soccer—he stated in a 2005 interview that he could have played professionally if he had focused on it—and continues to hold an interest in the sport. When Dirk NowitzkiDirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
arrived in the NBA from Germany, he and Nash became close friends, in part because they enjoyed watching soccer together. Nash is friends with several professional soccer players, including Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
, Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
, Owen Hargreaves
Owen Hargreaves
Owen Lee Hargreaves is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester City and the English national football team....
, Massimo Ambrosini
Massimo Ambrosini
Massimo Ambrosini is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder and is the captain of Serie A club Milan. He is well known for his aerial ability and tackling.- Club career :...
and Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
. During his off-season, when he lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, he has trained with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, and once tried to arrange a pick-up game in the city's Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
with the Red Bulls and one of his local teams.
Nash—whose father was born in the Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
district of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
—is a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur supporter, and has expressed interest in owning a minority stake in the club. "I'd like to be an owner. It's something I could do for the rest of my life after my little window of popularity dies," he said in an interview with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Nash added, "I've been a passionate supporter all my life. My parents are from north London and so it's not like I'm some Yank who wants to make a profit out of football. I don't care about making money. I just want to see Spurs succeed and, if I can help, that's great." However, he said any participation in Spurs would come after his basketball career is over, and he has had only "casual contact" with chairman Daniel Levy and former director of football Damien Comolli
Damien Comolli
Damien Comolli is the Director of Football for Liverpool. He has previously worked as a football coach and scout, with AS Monaco, AS Saint-Étienne, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and French.He was born in Béziers, France, and played as a youth team player at AS...
. Nash is also a fan of Brazilian team Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
, which his former Suns teammate Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Mateus Barbosa is a Brazilian professional basketball player, who plays at the guard position with Flamengo Basketball in Brazil. He is also under contract with the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors, and is expected to return to that team once the 2011 NBA lockout ends...
supports. When Barbosa visited Corinthians in 2007, the club gave him a shirt with Nash's name and jersey number.
Nash had also previously made statements about his intention to bring Major League Soccer to Vancouver as early as 2011, which he has succeeded in doing. He joined the USL-1 Vancouver Whitecaps FC team's ownership group in July 2008 and in March 2009, Vancouver was officially named as a future MLS expansion city, set to join the league in 2011.
Nash, along with former Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
president and fellow Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
-native Jeff Mallett
Jeff Mallett
Jeffrey Mallett is best known for building internet giant Yahoo! from its start-up phase into the global franchise it is today...
, are investors in Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
, a soccer league that was launched in March 2009. Nash cited his twin daughters and wanting to have role models for them to look up to as a reason for supporting the league. Nash also co-hosted Showdown in Chinatown
Showdown in Chinatown
Showdown in Chinatown is an annual charity soccer match organized by basketball player Steve Nash and soccer player Claudio Reyna to benefit their respective charity foundations. The first edition was a nine-a-side match played on June 25, 2008 while the second edition was an eight-a-side match...
in 2008, an 8-on-8 charity soccer game held at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. He scored two goals in his team's 8–5 victory. Participants included Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
, Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
, Baron Davis
Baron Davis
Baron Walter Louis Davis is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Drafted as the third pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, Davis was a star at Crossroads School and UCLA....
, and Suns teammates Raja Bell
Raja Bell
Raja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...
and Leandro Barbosa.
Other interests
Nash and a MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
-based partner, Leonard Schlemm, opened the first Steve Nash Sports Club in the spring of 2007 in downtown Vancouver, a high-end, $5-million, 38500 square feet (3,576.8 m²) facility that will mirror Nash's own fitness philosophy.
In 2007, Nash wrote and produced an 81-second commercial for Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
titled "Training Day", directed by Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel is an American artist and filmmaker. In the 1980s, Schnabel received international media attention for his "plate paintings"—large-scale paintings set on broken ceramic plates....
's daughter Lola, which gained popularity as a viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Nash also started a film production company together with his cousin, filmmaker Ezra Holland, and intends to produce independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
s. The first creative effort to come from Meathawk was a 91-second commercial, titled "The Sixty Million Dollar Man", for Nike's eco-friendly Trash Talk shoe, the first high-performance shoe to be made—at the behest of the environmentally conscious Nash—from recycled materials. Nash has worn the shoe since February 2008 but Nike produced only 5,000 pairs for sale. The ad which broke virally on Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
2008, was written by Nash and the directors of the spot, Danny Vaia and Ezra Holland. It is a spoof remake of the title sequence
Title sequence
A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
of the American television series The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
and plays on Nash’s numerous on-court collisions. Amar'e Stoudemire and Raja Bell
Raja Bell
Raja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...
have cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s. Nash and Holland also co-directed the documentary Into the Wind
Into the Wind (2010 film)
Into the Wind is a 2010 documentary film which chronicles the story of Terry Fox. At the age of 18, Fox was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. The cancer had taken over his right leg, which was then amputated six inches above the knee...
, about iconic Canadian athlete and activist Terry Fox
Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox , was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research...
, as part of ESPN's 30 for 30
30 for 30
30 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentaries airing on ESPN and its sister networks. The series, which premiered in October 2009 and concluded in December 2010, chronicles 30 stories from the "ESPN era," each of which detail the issues, trends, people, teams, or events that...
series.
For the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
held in Vancouver, Nash became the first NBA player in Olympic history to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron.
See also
- List of foreign NBA players
- List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game
Further reading
- Jeff Rud, (1996), Long Shot: Steve Nash's Journey to the NBA, Polestar Books ISBN 1-896095-16-X
- Jeff Rud. (2007), Steve Nash: The Making of an MVP, Puffin ISBN 0-14-241014-4
- Ryan Basen, (2007) Steve Nash: Leader on and Off the Court, Enslow Publishers ISBN 0-7660-2868-2