Steve Nash ends his career as one of the best players to never win a ring, but as he fades into post-retirement, the point guard maestro will always be remembered more for what he contributed to the game.
– Mirotic helps Chicago Bulls secure a seventh consecutive playoff
– NBA: Hawks’ defence deserts them again as Spurs cruise
Nash is partly responsible for the modern style of play which features high-octane offence and a heavy volume of 3-point shooting. He was the orchestrator on those revolutionary ‘Seven Seconds or Less’ Phoenix Suns teams in the mid 2000s – a window into what the league would become.
Rather than relying on large doses of star-powered isolations, the Suns were a free-flowing, uptempo entity that was captivating to watch. And Nash was the head of Phoenix’s Voltron.
He was a wizard with the ball, setting up his team-mates with passes that would drop jaws. Every game, you could count on seeing a handful of behind-the-back or no-look dishes, as well as his famous probing through the lane and under the basket with his dribble.
While he was known for his passing, Nash was also one of the greatest – and most efficient – shooters in NBA history. He didn’t shoot it much, but when he did, it always looked like it was going in. Nash’s career shooting numbers were 49.0 per cent from the field, 42.8 per cent from beyond the arc and 90.4 per cent from the free throw line. That’s nearly 50-40-90 for his entire career.
For an idea of how impressive that is, consider there have been just 10 50-40-90 seasons in history and Nash owns four of them. He was rewarded for his stellar play by being named MVP in back-to-back years for 2004-05 and 2005-06, making him the only player shorter than 6-foot-6 to win the award multiple times.
Hats off to @SteveNash. It was great coaching him. He did so much for the game. Made everyone around him better. Yes including the Coach
— Alvin Gentry (@AlvinGentry) March 22, 2015
During a period when generational superstars like Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett were in their primes, Nash was on the same level and transcendent in his ability to both stand out and inspire team play. The only thing missing from his wonderful career were titles. He came close with the Suns on a few occasions, but ultimately, championships eluded him.
That’s what the move to Los Angeles was for. But the team that appeared on paper to be a legitimate contender was actually a disaster and Nash looked like a shell of himself dealing with injuries. He didn’t officially retire until this past Saturday, but Nash has been away from the game for nearly a year now.
From a basketball perspective, it’s a sad ending to a Hall of Fame career and far from an ideal way to leave the game, but it doesn’t take away from what he achieved.
When looking back at Steve Nash, the first words to describe him won’t be ring-less. They’ll be unique, fun to watch and brilliant.
