Steve Nash, Where Amazing Happens

Anyone who knows me knows I’m probably one of the biggest Steve Nash fans in the world. I try to catch his games on TV any time I can, I watch his highlight montages on YouTube, and I marvel at his game nonstop. I flat out love the guy. If you’re not a Steve Nash fan, then honestly, you should stop reading right about here.

I’m not going to go through an entire history of his career, but I’d like to mention his first time on center stage. In 1993, this skinny white Canadian kid led his 15^th ranked Santa Clara team to the first ever upset of a number 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, stunning the Arizona Wildcats. This was the first time Nash shocked the world with his talent, and did something no one thought he could do. Little did we know, it was the first of many.

That upset in the 93’ tourney was just the beginning; Nash has been mesmerizing defences ever since. With no look passes and ridiculously long “how’d he do that” alley-oops, Nash became and still is one of the most exciting players in the NBA. Nash can bounce it, skip it, throw it behind his back, and dish equally well with his left hand, and this only adds to his “wow” factor. He’s also a career 43% from behind the arc, and is one of the greatest free throw shooters of all time (90.4 %).

But what sets Nash apart is not his stats, it is the excitement he brings, and more specifically, the manner in which he creates this excitement. As opposed to most superstars in the game today, Nash’s theatrics are all about getting his teammates involved. When Blake Griffin or Dwayne Wade makes an incredible play, it’s usually of the acrobatic, dunking, or circus shot variety. While there’s nothing wrong with these kinds of plays, they only involve the player performing it. Nash creates excitement by helping others, and in such a superstar driven league, I find that kind of refreshing.

Now don’t get the wrong idea, Nash’s unselfish play is not about getting on Sportscentre; it is always for the good of the team. When Nash arrived in Phoenix in 04’, the Suns were coming off a 29 win season. In his first season with the team, the Suns finished with 62 wins. Not a bad turnaround if you ask me.

Nash not only brought his own unselfish play to the Desert, but it was like it rubbed off on the rest of the team. Making the extra pass became the cool thing to do, and when a whole team is playing unselfishly, everyone benefits. Nash didn’t only bring his slick passing and clutch shooting to Phoenix, but he brought a new team attitude as well.

This ability to change the mindset of an entire team is what propels Nash over other PGs in my mind. While the highlights and the stats are one thing (Back to back MVP awards, anyone?), a true PG is supposed to make everyone around him better, and that is exactly what Nash does. Last year, in what was then his highest scoring year as a pro, Marcin Gortat averaged 4 points per game. In 20 games with the Suns this year, Gortat’s averaging 10.6. Gortat also served up my new favourite Nash quote, saying (in awesome Euro-English) that "As many passes as he gave me today I think I had so many passes the entire season a couple of years ago. It’s just a great feeling to play with him”.

Now isn’t that the epitome of Nash’s game? Everyone loves to play with him, and everyone has success playing with him. While yes, I know he doesn’t defend well and he’s never won a ring (which is completely the Sun’s front office’s fault, but that’s another story), that doesn’t change what I think about him. He does the unthinkable time and time again, and is also incredibly tough, as seen by his bloody nose in the playoffs against the Spurs. Nash is the reason I like to watch Suns games, and he’s also the reason players want to play for the Suns. Fans love him and players love playing with him, and really, what more can you possibly ask for?