Even though Canadian basketball star Steve Nash first hit his stride with the Dallas Mavericks in 1998, he won over the basketball world during his 10 years with the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs in their final regular season game on Wednesday night, but the final score took a backseat to the fact it was most likely Nash’s final game with Phoenix.
In the final minutes, as Nash sat on the bench, the crowd began to chant "WE WANT NASH’ in a show of support of their beloved point guard.
Phoenix Suns fans…thank you thank you thank you…you’re far too kind.
— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) April 26, 2012
Suns’ head coach Alvin Gentry obliged and put Nash back in the game.
Since he was drafted in 1996, Nash has developed a reputation in the league as a pure point guard, a true team player, and an overall great representative of this country. After the ovation on Wednesday night, here is the sportsnet.ca list of Nash’s top five Phoenix Suns memories.
1) Suns select Steve Nash out of Santa Clara with the No. 15 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft
2) Nash signs free-agent deal to return to Phoenix
The Canadian point guard was stuck behind Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd with the Suns and was shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks on Jun. 24, 1998 for Pat Garrity, Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells and a first-round draft pick in 1999.
Once he took over the starting position, Nash become one of the league’s most reliable point guards and helped transition the Mavericks’ into a perennial playoff contender.
After Suns GM Bryan Colangelo was able to clear out Stephon Marbury’s contract and create salary cap space, he was able to bring Nash back to the Suns in 2004. Under Nash and head coach Mike D’Antoni, the Suns quickly became one of the most exciting and explosive offences in the last decade.
3) Nash becomes first Canadian player to win MVP award
In Nash’s first season back in Phoenix, he received his first league MVP award. He narrowly beat out Shaquille O’Neal on the ballots, becoming the first-ever Canadian to win the award.
4) Nash wins second consecutive MVP Award
In the following season, Nash led the Suns to a division title, and was honoured with his second consecutive MVP award. Nash was also named an All-Star for the first time that season: something he would go on to do seven more times.
5) Nash passes Oscar Robertson to move into fifth on the NBA’s all-time assist list
Despite this list of accomplishments, Nash — who at 38 is nearing the end of his career – is missing one important piece of hardware: a championship ring. It is perceivable that Nash will leave Phoenix in an attempt to play his final seasons on a team with a greater chance of winning the Larry O’Brien trophy before he retires.
