While it was expected to be officially announced at the end of this season, Los Angeles Lakers Point Guard, Steve Nash has officially announced his retirement from the National Basketball Association.
Born in South Africa, but raised in Canada, Nash was lightly recruited and played collegiately at Santa Clara. Nash would open eyes by making Santa Clara relevant in the West Coast Conference, but overall he was relatively unknown when entering the 1996 draft, so much so that the fans of the Phoenix Suns were upset that their team drafted him 15th overall. Nash would have to uneventful seasons in Phoenix where he used primarily off of the bench, but a trade to the Dallas Mavericks would change his fortunes.
Nash would become the starting Point Guard for the Mavs and with an equally unwanted at the draft Dirk Nowitski, would slowly change the fortunes of the team. Year by year, Nash’s stats would rise and in the 2000/01 season would have a breakout year with 15.1 Points and 7.3 Assists and a PER of 19.6.
The following season, Nash would have his first All Star selection and would average a PER over 20.0 for the next seasons in Dallas. With Michael Finlay and Dirk Nowitski, the Mavericks were regular playoff fixtures and Nash would be chosen for the All NBA Third Team twice.
Nash had proven to be a valuable starter in the NBA but at age 30 the Mavs ownership felt that a longterm contract may not yield a proper return. The Phoenix Suns felt otherwise and he returned to the team that drafted him and the Canadian would embark on the most successful run of his career.
Nash was the perfect fit for Mike D’Antoni’s up tempo style, and he became the star of the Suns offense. Phoenix had a forty game swing from the previous season and made the Western Conference Finals. Nash was named the NBA MVP, earn First Team All NBA Honors and won his first Assists Title.
While Phoenix would become a potent team, Nash was unable to take them to the NBA Finals, though he would accrue quite an impressive trophy case. Nash would win another MVP, four more Assists Titles, two Free Throw Percentage Titles, another two First Team All NBA and two Second Team All NBA Selections.
As a free agent again, Nash would chase the final accolade, a championship ring and when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, the odds makers pegged L.A. as a favourite but by all accounts, Nash had a horrific time with the Lakers compiling injury after injury to the point where he was ineffective and could not play at all this season.
It may have been a disappointing end, but it is an end to a career that should place Steve Nash in the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com suspect that he will enter immediately, and will only be on our Basketball list for one year, and will likely be ranked number one by us.
We would also like to thank Steve Nash for the great memories on the court and we are anxious to see what his plans are for his post-NBA career.
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