Rajon rondo height
Steve Nash
Canadian basketball player and coach (born )
For other people named Stephen Nash, see Stephen Nash (disambiguation).
Nash in | |
| Born | () 7 February (age&#;50) Johannesburg, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Listed height | 6&#;ft 3&#;in (&#;m) |
| Listed weight | &#;lb (81&#;kg)[1] |
| High school | St.
Michaels |
| College | Santa Clara (–) |
| NBA draft | 1st round, 15th overall pick |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Playing career | – |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 13, 10 |
| Coaching career | –present |
| – | Phoenix Suns |
| – | Dallas Mavericks |
| – | Phoenix Suns |
| – | Los Angeles Lakers |
| – | Brooklyn Nets |
| |
| Points | 17, ( ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3, ( rpg) |
| Assists | 10, ( apg) |
| Stats at &#; | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference&#; | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| FIBA Hall of Fame | |
Stephen John NashOC OBC (born 7 February ) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He played 18 seasons in the NBA, where he was an eight-time All-Star and a seven-time All-NBA selection. Nash was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player while playing for the Phoenix Suns.
Nash grew up playing several different sports, and after a successful high school basketball career in British Columbia, he earned a scholarship to Santa Clara University in California.
In his four seasons with the Broncos, the team made three NCAA tournament appearances, and he was twice named the West Coast Conference (WCC) Player of the Year. Nash graduated from Santa Clara as the team's all-time leader in assists and was taken as the 15th pick in the NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. He had minimal impact and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in By his fourth season with the Mavericks, he was voted to his first NBA All-Star Game and earned his first All-NBA selection.
Jason kidd height: One of the greatest point guards in the game of basketball, Steve Nash beat the odds at six feet, three inches to excel in a sport dominated by six-foot, seven-inch players. Born in South Africa, Steve grew up in Canada and was drafted to play in the NBA in the United States.
Together with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley, Nash led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals the following season. He became a free agent after the –04&#;season and returned to the Phoenix Suns.
In the –05&#;season, Nash led the Suns to the Western Conference finals and was named the league's MVP.
He was named MVP again in the –06&#;season and was runner-up for a third consecutive MVP to Nowitzki in – He is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time.[2][3][4] Nash 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 in three-point shooting, free throw shooting, total assists, and assists per game. In , he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Nash has been honoured for his contributions to various philanthropic causes. In , he was named by Time as one of the most influential people in the world.
Nash was appointed to the Order of Canada in and invested to the order in , and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Victoria in Nash has been a co-owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) since the team entered the league in From to , he served as general manager of the Canadian men's national basketball team, for whom he played from to , making one Olympic appearance and being twice named FIBA AmeriCup MVP.
In , Nash was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Early life
Nash was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a Welsh mother, Jean, and English father, John, on 7 February [5][6][7][8] His family moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, when he was 18 months old, before settling in Victoria, British Columbia.[8] He, therefore, holds British as well as Canadian citizenship.
Before the family settled in Canada, his father played professional soccer in various parts of the world.[8] Nash often played soccer and ice hockey with his younger brother Martin, and he did not start playing basketball until he was 12 or 13 years old;[9] he also played rugby and lacrosse.[10] In grade eight, he told his mother that one day he would play in the NBA and become a star.[8] He was a neighbour to future NHL stars Russ and Geoff Courtnall, who used to babysit him and played soccer coached by Nash's father.[11]
Nash originally attended Mount Douglas Secondary School in Saanich, British Columbia, but after his grades began to drop, his parents decided to enroll him at St.
Michaels University School, a private school in Victoria.[12] There, he starred in basketball, soccer, and rugby union. While playing basketball during his senior season, Nash averaged points, assists, and rebounds per game.[13] In the –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.[14]
College career
Although Nash's high school coach, Ian Hyde-Lay, sent letters of inquiry and highlight reels to over 30 American universities, Nash was not recruited by any university,[8] 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 Prize winner to figure out this guy's pretty good. It was just a case of hoping that none of the big names came around."[12] However, Davey also told Nash he was "the worst defensive player" he had ever seen.[12]
Nash was awarded a scholarship by Santa Clara for the –93 season.
Steve nash height biography book Learn the Incredible Story of Basketball Superstar and NBA Legend Steve Nash! Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device! One of many riveting reads in the Basketball Biography Books series.At the time, it had been five years since the Broncos appeared in the NCAA tournament. That changed when Nash led the Broncos to a WCC tournament title and an upset win over the No. 2 seeded Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[8] In that game, Nash scored six straight free throws in the last 30 seconds of the contest.[12] Although Temple defeated Santa Clara in the next round, the –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.[8] The team rebounded in the –95 season, with Nash being named Conference Player of the Year and the Broncos topping the WCC.[8] Featuring the league leader for scoring and assists in Nash, the Broncos returned to the NCAA tournament, but Mississippi State defeated them.[8] 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 NBA draft.[8]
My heroes were Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson.
I think they were just so competitive and creative.
Settings Item 3 of 4 Item 1 of 1 Details Item 1 of 1 Especially Isiah, he was somebody that wasn't very tall. He had played the game mostly on the floor and it made me feel that I could find a way to do the same.
—Steve Nash[9]
In the –96 season, Nash began attracting the attention of the national media and professional scouts.
He had spent the previous summer honing his skills, playing with the Canadian national team and working out with established NBA players Jason Kidd and Gary Payton.[8] 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 repeat since Kurt Rambis.[13] He scored 28 points in leading the No.
10 seed Broncos to a first-round upset win over No. 7 seed Maryland, but then the Broncos were eliminated by Kansas.
Steve nash height and weight Steve Nash. Heritage House Publishing Co. ISBN Ryan Basen, () Steve Nash: Leader on and Off the Court, Enslow Publishers ISBN ; Dan Osier (15 January ). Steve Nash. The Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN Jay Triano; Steve Nash (). Basketball Basics: How to Play Like the Pros. Greystone Books.Nash's performances ensured that he earned an honourable 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 assists (), free throw percentage (), and made and attempted three-pointers (–).[13] He remains third on the school's all-time scoring list (1,) and holds Santa Clara's single-season free throw percentage record ().[13] In September , Nash's jersey No.&#;11 was retired, becoming the first Santa Clara student-athlete to receive that honour.[15]
Professional career
Phoenix Suns (–)
After graduating with a degree in sociology,[12] Nash was selected 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA draft.
Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the relatively unknown player.[12] This was because despite his impressive college accomplishments, Nash had not played in one of the major college conferences. A major influence in Phoenix's choice was assistant coach Donnie Nelson, who met Nash back in high school as he was coached by Nelson's friend Ken Shields, and would eventually befriend the player as he played in Santa Clara.
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.[16] Both Johnson and Cassell had NBA Finals experience, while Kidd was the second overall pick in the NBA draft and already an All-Star when he arrived at Phoenix.
In his rookie season, Nash only managed minutes a game,[17] 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.[8] Nevertheless, the Canadian's tenure with the Suns did not last.
Nelson had just taken a job as assistant general manager of the Dallas Mavericks under his father, Don Nelson, and convinced him to acquire the under-utilised Nash.[18] Following the 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 teammate Shawn Marion).[19]
Dallas Mavericks (–)
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 lockout-shortened –99&#;season) he started in all 40 games he played in, and averaged points, rebounds and assists per game.[17] The 19–31 Mavericks failed to make the playoffs, but in the – 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.[13] He finished the season with averages of points and assists per game.[17] 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 –01&#;season, Nash averaged points and assists per game in a breakout season.[17] 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.[20] In the –02&#;season, Nash posted career-highs of points and assists per game[17] and earned a spot in the NBA All-Star Game and on the All-NBA Third Team.[21][22] He was now an All-Star, increasingly appearing in television commercials and, with Finley and Nowitzki, a part of the Dallas Mavericks "Big Three".[23] Dallas earned another trip to the playoffs but lost again in the Semifinals to the Sacramento Kings four games to one.[24]
Nash closely replicated his previous season's performance in the –03&#;season, averaging points and assists per game,[17] again earning All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honours.[21][25] Nowitzki and Nash led the Mavericks from a 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.[26] It was only the second Conference finals appearance in the franchise's history.
The –04&#;season 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 () and free throw accuracy (%).[17] In the playoffs, the fifth-seeded Dallas failed to make progress yet again as the Sacramento Kings saw them off four games to one.[27]
After the –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 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 with the Suns for the –05&#;season. The Canadian would go on to win two League MVP awards with Phoenix, and on a 14 June 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?"[28]
Return to Phoenix (–)
–05 season
Nash joined a Suns team which had emerging young players in Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson, and Amar'e Stoudemire.
In the season before Nash arrived, the Suns had recorded a 29–53 win–loss record,[8] 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.
On 21 November , Nash recorded 22 points, 18 assists and 4 steals in a – win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[29] 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 , the highest in a decade.[30] The catalyst of this turnaround, Nash averaged assists per game while making % of his field goals and % of his three-pointers in the regular season.[17][31] He edged Shaquille O'Neal to win the –05NBA MVP award,[32] 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.[13] In the playoffs, Phoenix swept the Memphis Grizzlies in four games before meeting the Dallas Mavericks in the second round.[33] Nash led the Suns to a 4–2 series win,[33] and the Suns reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since , but lost to the eventual NBA Champions and arch-rival, the San Antonio Spurs, in five games.[33]
–06 season
In the next season, Stoudemire suffered a serious knee injury, and Johnson and Quentin Richardson were traded away.[34] The Suns were not expected to repeat their successful season, but with Nash directing the same high-tempo offence, the team compiled a respectable 54–28 record and won the division title.[31][34] On 2 January , Nash recorded 28 points, 5 rebounds and 22 assists in a – triple overtime loss to the New York Knicks.[35] The Suns were again the highest-scoring team in the league with seven players averaging double figures in points per game,[34] and Nash was voted for the first time to start for the Western All-Star team.[36] In the last game of the season, Nash recorded a triple-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a –96 road win over the Trail Blazers.[37] Having recorded career highs in points (), rebounds (), field goal percentage () and free throw percentage (a league-leading ), and leading the league with assists per game,[13] Nash was named the league MVP for the second year in a row.[38] In the first round of the playoffs, Phoenix overcame a 3–1 deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers and won the series 4–3.[34] The Los Angeles Clippers were their Conference semifinals opponents, and the Suns again needed seven games to clinch the series.[34] For the second year in a row, however, the Suns bowed out in the conference finals, this time to Nash's former team, Dallas.[34]
–07 season
In the –07&#;season, Nash had another stellar campaign, averaging points and a career-high assists per game while becoming the first person since Magic Johnson in –91 to average 18 points and 11 assists per game during the regular season.[39] 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 –[39] Nash received first-place votes and total points from the panel of media members.[39] He narrowly missed being MVP a third consecutive time, coming in second with 44 first place votes to 83 for Dirk Nowitzki.[40] In the playoffs, the Suns eliminated the Lakers in five games before losing 4–2 to the Spurs in the conference semifinals.[41]
–08 season
Nash played in 81 regular season games during the –08&#;season; in this campaign, the Western Conference was especially competitive and he led the Suns to 55 wins and the sixth seed for the 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 –06 MVP campaign (shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from the three-point arc, and 90% from the free throw line).[17] On 31 January , he collected his All-Star stripes for the sixth time in his career.[42] 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.[43] 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.[43] Nevertheless, Nash was later named to the All-NBA Second Team for the –08 season.[44]
–09 season
Before the –09&#;season 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 swingmanJason Richardson[45] 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,[46] resulting in Nash missing the playoffs for the first time since he returned to Phoenix for his second stint.
–10 season
Nash and the Suns opened the –10&#;season with a series of strong performances, going 8–1 in their first nine games (a franchise-best since –81), with Nash producing two assists games.[47] On 21 January , Nash was named as the starting point guard for the West for the NBA All-Star Game.[48] 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.
Nba steve nash height
Stephen John Nash OC OBC (born 7 February ) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, where he was an eight-time All-Star and a seven-time All-NBA selection.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.
–11 season
The Suns underwent two major roster changes in the –11&#;season. 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 Dragić was traded to the Houston Rockets for Aaron Brooks.[49] The Suns had difficulty being even a team, and for the second time since Nash returned to Phoenix, the Suns failed to make the playoffs.
–12 season
In February , Nash was named to his eighth All-Star Game. At the time, he was leading the NBA in assists per game.[50] On 21 April , Nash passed Oscar Robertson for career assists versus the Denver Nuggets. Despite his stellar play the Suns missed the playoffs for the second consecutive time.
He finished the season averaging points and assists per game on % shooting from the field (tying his career high). Near the end of the –12 season, Nash was named the winner of the PBWA's Magic Johnson Award.
Los Angeles Lakers (–)
–13 season
On 11 July , the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Nash in a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix.[51] Nash also considered signing with New York or Toronto, but he decided that Los Angeles was the best fit for him and his family.[52] Nash switched his jersey number, as his customary No.
13 was retired by Los Angeles in honour of Wilt Chamberlain.[53][54] Nash, an avid soccer fan, chose No. 10 to pay homage to Glenn Hoddle, Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi and other soccer playmakers who wore the number.[55] Entering his 17th NBA season, Nash came to the Lakers with concerns over his defense and the health of his back.[56]
In the second game of the –13 season, Nash suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left leg after a collision with Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.
He was expected to miss at least one week,[57][58] but was out of the lineup for close to seven weeks.[59] He was reunited with D'Antoni, who took over as Lakers coach after Mike Brown was fired after a 1–4 start.[60] On 22 December, Nash returned against the Golden State Warriors, helping the Lakers win their first overtime game of the season, –, scoring 12 points with 9 assists in 41 minutes of play.[61] The Lakers won three of the first four games after Nash returned.
However, they lost their next four, including a – loss to Houston on 8 January , when Nash assisted on an Antawn Jamison jumper to become the fifth player in NBA history to reach 10, career assists.[62]
Kobe Bryant was moved to defend the opponent's primary ball handler, freeing Nash from unfavourable matchups.[63] Nash also struggled with Dwight Howard to run the pick and roll, a play that D'Antoni had expected would be a staple for the Lakers.[64] D'Antoni moved Nash off the ball and made him more of a spot-up shooter, while Bryant became the primary facilitator on offense.[65][66][67] Nash missed the last eight games of the season with a right hip injury that had also caused nerve damage in his right hamstring.
The team qualified for the playoffs as the seventh seed,[68] but were swept 4–0 by San Antonio in the first round.[69] Nash missed the last two games of the series after recurring issues with his hip and hamstring.[56][69] In what he called arguably "the most frustrating" season of his career, Nash missed a career-high 32 games in the regular season, and averaged his fewest assists () since –, when he was a part-time starter with Dallas.[56][70]
–14 season
During the –14 season, Nash continued to suffer nerve problems stemming from his leg injury the prior season.
In November , he was sidelined for an estimated minimum of two weeks due to nerve root irritation.[71] Nash returned on 4 February , shooting 3-for-6 for 7 points. On 7 February , his 40th birthday, he scored a season-high 19 points in a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.[72] On 13 March, Nash was ruled out for the remainder of the season by D'Antoni.
He was suffering from a recurrence of nerve problems stemming from an earlier collision to his left leg with Chicago's Kirk Hinrich, and the Lakers wanted to give Kendall Marshall and Jordan Farmar more playing time. However, Nash returned on 21 March after a groin injury to Farmar that was expected to sideline him a minimum of two weeks.[73][74]
–15 season
In July , Nash announced that the –15 season would be his last.
During the preseason, he experienced back pain, and further aggravated his back while lifting luggage.[75] On 23 October, less than a week before the start of what would have been the year-old Nash's 19th year in the NBA, he was ruled out for the season due to a recurring back injury. Nash only played in three preseason games before he started to feel more pain in his back.
Nash spoke on injuring his back, stating: "Being on the court this season has been my top priority, and it is disappointing to not be able to do that right now. I work very hard to stay healthy, and unfortunately my recent setback makes performing at full capacity difficult. I will continue to support my team during this period of rest and will focus on my long-term health."[76]
Retirement and consulting duties
Nash announced his retirement from playing on 21 March [77] Before the announcement, the Cleveland Cavaliers told Nash's agent that they were interested in having him as a backup for Kyrie Irving if Nash asked for a buyout.
Nash refused it due to health concerns and his wanting to retire as a Laker in gratitude for the opportunity given by the club.[78] Nash was later approached by another former team of his, the Dallas Mavericks, to have one last season with them instead, but he declined due to his aforementioned health concerns.[79]
On 25 September , it was confirmed that Nash would take on part-time consulting duties for the Golden State Warriors.[80] During his first season with the team, the Warriors produced a record-breaking 73–9 season, although the team fell short in the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The next season, the Warriors would win the NBA Finals against the defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers, giving Nash his first NBA championship in any role.[81]
On 19 December , the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced that eligibility for induction into the Hall of Fame was decreased to three years after retirement, which allowed for Nash to be eligible to be enshrined in [82] On 31 March , during the Final Four, it was announced that Nash&#;&#; along with former teammates Jason Kidd and Grant Hill, as well as Ray Allen, Maurice Cheeks, and Charlie Scott&#;&#; would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in [83] Nash was formally inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on 7 September [84] In October , Nash was honored as one of the&#;league's greatest players of all time by being named to the&#;NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[85]
Coaching career
Brooklyn Nets (–)
On 3 September , Nash was announced as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.[86][87]
On 3 March , Nash was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for February, becoming the first Nets head coach to earn the honor since his former teammate Jason Kidd won it twice in Nash led the Nets to an Eastern Conference-best record of 9–4 during the month, including a conference-best 5–2 road record.[88][89] Nash led the Nets to a 48–24 record in his first season as head coach.[90] After the –21 regular season Nash finished in sixth place in the NBA Coach of the Year voting.[91]
On 27 October , Nash received two technical fouls and was ejected for arguing with and yelling at referees, during a –99 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.[92][93] On 1 November, Nash and the Nets agreed to part ways amid controversies revolving around the team's players.[94][95]
National team career
In the early s, Nash was cut from the Canadian junior national team by head coach Ken Olynyk, the father of future NBA player Kelly Olynyk.[96] At age 17, he was the youngest member of Team Canada at the Summer Universiade, where the team won a silver medal.[97]
In , while in college, he played for the senior national team at the Tournament of the Americas and competed in the Canada Games (for the British Columbia team) and Summer Universiade.
He won a bronze medal at the Canada Games and won a silver medal at the Summer Universiade, losing to Team USA in a closely contested final,[97] which included players such as Michael Finley and Damon Stoudamire.[8]
At the Tournament of the Americas, Nash led Canada to the silver medal, qualifying the team for the Olympics for the first time in 12 years; he was named tournament MVP.[8] At the Sydney Olympics, Nash 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 five-point 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."[98] Nevertheless, he did see a possible silver lining, saying "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play&#; that's what I really hope."[98] A victory in its final game of the tournament, a placement game against Russia, enabled Canada to salvage seventh place.
Nash's Olympic performance propelled him to stardom in Canada, and he finished fifth in voting for the Lionel Conacher Award, which is handed out to the Canadian male athlete of the year.[99]
Nash again led Team Canada during qualifying for the Summer Olympics at the FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
He led the tournament in assists and 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; he was reportedly upset about the firing of head coach Jay Triano in [] In December , he said, "In my mind right now, I'm not going to play for Canada any more."[]
On 8 May , Nash became general manager of the Canadian senior national team.[] Three months later, he rehired Triano as head coach.[]
On 5 March , Nash transitioned to a senior advisor role and was succeeded as general manager by Rowan Barrett, his former national team teammate.[]
Player profile
Nash was praised for his playmaking, ball-handling skills and shooting.
He led the league in assists for five years, averaging assists per game in –05, in –06, in –07, in –10 and in –11[17] and won the NBA Skills Challenge in and [13] As of the end of –13 season, he had a % career free throw shooting average (formerly the best in NBA history, as of [update] second to Stephen Curry)[][] and a % career three-point shooting average (eighth-best in league history),[] and ranked as one of the top 10 players in league history in total assists, assists per game, and three-point field goals made.[][][] He is ranked second (starting from –87 season) in regular season point–assist double doubles.[] In the –06 season, Nash became the fourth player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better from the field, 40% from three-point range (), and 90% from the line, joining Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, and Mark Price in the 50–40–90 club.[34][] Nash would repeat this feat three more times in the –08, –09 and –10 campaigns.[17] Nash (four times), Larry Bird and Kevin Durant (two times each) are the only players to have accomplished this feat more than once.[]
A two-time NBA MVP, Nash is one of three point guards (along with Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry) to win the MVP award multiple times and one of four guards in NBA history to earn back-to-back MVPs (along with Johnson, Michael Jordan and Curry).[13] Only 12 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, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokić.[13] On 12 January , rated Nash as the seventh-best point guard of all time,[] and in a survey by in , Nash received 85% of the votes by the league's general managers as best point guard in the league.[] In a similar survey in , Nash was rated as the best passer and the player possessing the best basketball IQ.[]
Commenting on Nash losing out to former teammate Dirk Nowitzki for the 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 he's so good and so effective is that the guys like playing with him.
Tim duncan height One of the greatest point guards in the game of basketball, Steve Nash beat the odds at six feet, three inches to excel in a sport dominated by six-foot, seven-inch players. Born in South Africa, Steve grew up in Canada and was drafted to play in the NBA in the United States.He creates an atmosphere where they win games."[]
Nash was particularly effective playing the pick and roll, especially with Nowitzki when he was with the Mavericks and later with the Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion under head coach Mike D'Antoni.[] When Nash returned to Phoenix in , he helped the Suns improve from a 29–53 record in –04 to 62–20 in –05, reaching the conference finals for the first time in 11 years, and earning his first MVP award.
The next season, he again led the Suns to 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.[34] With Nash operating at the point between the –06 and –10 seasons, the Suns led the league in field goal percentage.
In , to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Nash as the 38th greatest player in NBA history.[]
Career statistics
| &#;&#;GP | Games played | &#;&#;GS&#; | Games started | &#;MPG&#; | Minutes per game |
| &#;FG%&#; | Field goal percentage | &#;3P%&#; | 3-point field goal percentage | &#;FT%&#; | Free throw percentage |
| &#;RPG&#; | Rebounds per game | &#;APG&#; | Assists per game | &#;SPG&#; | Steals per game |
| &#;BPG&#; | Blocks per game | &#;PPG&#; | Points per game | &#;Bold&#; | Career high |
| &#;*&#; | Led the league |
NBA
Regular season
Playoffs
College
Head coaching record
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L&#;% | Win–loss&#;% |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L&#;% | Playoff win–loss&#;% |
Awards and achievements
- NBA
- 2× NBA Most Valuable Player: ,
- 8× NBA All-Star: , , –, ,
- 7× All-NBA selection:
- First team: –
- Second team: ,
- Third team: ,
- 2× NBA Skills Challenge winner: ,
- 5× NBA regular season leader for assists per game: (), (), (), (), ()[13]
- 6× NBA regular season leader for total assists: (), (), (), (), (), ()[13]
- 2× NBA regular season leader for free throw percentage: (), ()[13]
- 7× NBA regular season leader for assists per 48 minutes: (),[] (),[] (),[] (),[] (),[] (), ()
- 4× member of 50–40–90 club: , –
- Has more 50–40–90 seasons than any other player in NBA history
- One of only ten players to have ever shot 50–40–90
- One of only three players (the others being Larry Bird and Kevin Durant) to have shot 50–40–90 more than once
- J.
Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award:
- Second-highest career free throw percentage in NBA history (minimum 1, career attempts), percent
- Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team
- Other
Sports ownership
Nash had also previously made statements about his intention to bring Major League Soccer to Vancouver as early as , which he has succeeded in doing.[] He joined the USL-1's Vancouver Whitecaps team's ownership group in July , and in March , Vancouver was officially named as a future MLS expansion city, set to join the league in []