Former Suns Great Steve Nash Calls It A Career
As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
On Saturday morning, former Sun and one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, Steve Nash, officially announced his retirement from the game of basketball. The 19-year vet announced his decision in a letter published on The Player’s Tribune website.
Here’s a bit on what Nash had to say in the piece.
"“The greatest gift has been to be completely immersed in my passion and striving for something I loved so much – visualizing a ladder, climbing up to my heroes,” Nash wrote. “The obsession became my best friend. I talked to her, cherished her, fought with her and got knocked on my ass by her.And that is what I’m most thankful for in my career. In my entire life, in some ways. Obviously, I value my kids and my family more than the game, but in some ways having this friend — this ever-present pursuit — has made me who I am, taught me and tested me, and given me a mission that feels irreplaceable. I am so thankful. I’ve learned so many invaluable lessons about myself and about life. And of course I still have so much to learn. Another incredible gift.”"
In true Nash fashion, he thanked others instead of talking about himself. He recognized Don Nelson, Mike D’Antoni, Dirk Nowitzki, Amar’e Stoudemire and of course his parents just to name a few.
Nash also discussed his time with the Suns, a period of his career that most fans will long remember him for.
"It will always hurt that Phoenix Suns fans didn’t get the championship they deserved during our run. Yes, we had some bad luck but I always look back at it and think, I could’ve made one more shot, or not forced a turnover, or made a better pass. But I don’t regret anything. The arena was always sold out and rocking. It was the time of my life. Thanks, Phoenix."
Some people just don’t appreciate how truly great Nash was in his second stint in Phoenix. Sure he won two MVP’s and possibly could have even won a third, but his numbers were historically good.
Over an eight-year stretch with the Suns, Nash averaged 16.3 points, 10.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field and over 91 percent from the charity stripe. Oh yeah, he also shot just under 44 percent from three-point range too.
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You can count the number of guys who have done that in league history on a single hand. That’s not too shabby for a player who many experts thought wasn’t going to amount to much more than a role player during his career.
Instead, he’ll be heading to the Hall of Fame in a few years.
Nash’s career is just more than numbers though. Those Suns teams he led for a number of years helped changed the NBA to what it is today; a game that is fast-paced and up and down the court for a full 48 minutes.
The Canadian might be an even better person than he was a basketball player, however. Always humble, his teammates loved him wherever he played (Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles).
It’s also very likely that there will never be another athlete in Phoenix more beloved than him because of his devotion to the fans and all the work he did for the community. Current athletes in the Valley have big shoes to fill in that area.
With this announcement, I feel like a huge part of my childhood is now over. Nothing in sports was more exciting for about a 3-4 year stretch than those Suns teams and Nash was by far and away the biggest part of it.
Thank you for all the wonderful memories, Steve. It was a treat watching you play throughout your career.
You played the game the way it was supposed to be played.