In the 2000s, there weren’t many more influential players in the NBA than point guard Steve Nash. Speaking exclusively on Flashscore’s flagship Czech podcast, Livesport Daily, he gives us his opinion on the biggest trade this season, the legacy of Dirk Nowitzki as well as his relationship with Tottenham Hotspur.
Nash was one of the most productive point guards of his generation, and despite his ‘diminutive’ size for the NBA, standing at 1.91 metres didn’t stop him being named the league’s MVP twice, a feat made all the more impressive given they were back-to-back.
The hall-of-famer inspired many that didn’t fit the stereotype of a modern player and one of those now making waves is Slovenian star Luka Doncic.
His move from the Dallas Mavericks to the LA Lakers was a jaw-dropping moment in January and one that took Nash himself by surprise.
He explained: “I think everybody was shocked. They clearly did an incredible job, especially in today's age of keeping it quiet.
“It definitely changes the landscape of the NBA and the Western Conference. And, you know, even the next 10 years, having one of the best players in the game go to the Lakers.”
He added: “You have a young player entering his prime and hopefully going to stay there for a minimum of five to hopefully 10 years.
“That's the part that is the most difficult part of the equation, because regardless of how it goes, luck is involved in all these things, but to get a star of his quality at his age is remarkable for the Lakers.”
Since moving to the Lakers, Doncic has had an impact, winning their last five games. His individual numbers are slightly down on his stats from his time in Dallas this season.
That will be the adjustment to the new side, but Nash believes, despite the uptick in form for the Lakers, that this trade doesn’t automatically make them favourites to win it all come the playoffs.
The former Laker mused: “I think they have a chance. They've opened the door to be a contender, but there's so much they have to sort out.
“You know, they're just starting to play together. You have two players that are actually quite similar. LeBron (James) and Luka, they both are playmaking forwards.
“They kind of are point forwards. So trying to make all those pieces fit, trying to get their defense solid. You know, they're a little thin at the center position, but they have great positional size.
“…(I am) very interested to see, and I think they definitely could play themselves into contention, but I think it's really early to say that when we haven't seen it at least for a few weeks to see maybe some light, some understanding, some connectivity, but there's a chance.
“I think like that, that underestimates how difficult it is in a short period of time to find that connection and commonality and understanding and way to play.”
Moving on from the court
As well as playing for the Lakers, Nash had his most successful seasons with the Phoenix Suns - the place where he won his two MVP awards. After retiring, the celebrated player did not leave the sport, taking up positions with the Canadian national side and the Golden State Warriors before becoming the head coach at the Brooklyn Nets.
Never far away from the court, Nash valued his time inside the Warriors’ organisation as he moved away from his playing days.
Speaking about his time with Golden State, he said: “I really enjoyed watching, listening, sharing, and helping where I was asked that group. So really great opportunity for me to see, you know, a special moment in time in our league where a team kind of emerged playing smaller, shooting more threes, and were very influential in the game. So, yeah, but definitely incredible times for me to experience with that group of people.
“But again, like I said, when you work with incredible human beings, you know, I think the experience is better and the potential is higher because the character is so integral to developing, to growing, to improving, to adapting. So they definitely had that kind of humble confidence to continue to adapt and face, you know, whatever their challenges were.”
One of the stars of that team continues to be Steph Curry. The four-time NBA champion has been one of the icons of the sport during the last 15 years, and at 36 is showing very few signs of slowing down.
Nash, who worked with Curry during his time at the Warriors, feels that Curry, despite all the accolades he has received over the years, is still not lauded as much as he should be.
Speaking about Curry’s place amongst the game’s greats, Nash pondered: “I think in some ways he's underappreciated. You know, his impact on the game, the way he was able to be an MVP and a champion in a new way, shooting impossible shots at a high percentage, the way he impacts defenses even when he doesn't have the ball, like, it's remarkable.
“At the same time, you know, he's not physically imposing like some of the other great players. You know, he's not 6'9", like Magic (Johnson) or (Larry) Bird. He's not a 7'0" dominant center like some we've had.
“And he's not like an elite explosive athlete like Michael Jordan or Kobe. So it's hard to say where he stacks up, but I will say that his impact is way, way up there with almost anyone who's ever played the game. I think his maximising of his talent is just incredible.”
European legends
Nash is not your typical NBA player in more ways than just his height. Born in South Africa, raised in Canada with a British father, Nash has one of the more unique back-stories in the sport. Alongside Doncic, a Slovenian, there are plenty of non-US players now making a splash in the sport.
He played alongside Dirk Nowitzki - a German-born forward - at Dallas. Nowitzki was seen as a pioneer for European basketball players moving to the NBA and an inspiration for the likes of Doncic and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.
Having been a teammate of Nowitzki, Nash believes the ‘Dunking Deutschman’ has created a defining legacy on the league.
Speaking about his former teammate, Nash said: “He's had a big influence on European or foreign players, but also just on the game in general, you know, like, you know, he's one of the key guys in this revolution of having five shooters on the floor.
“Those things were partly cemented by his success in showing a generation that you don't have to fit the traditional positional profile. I think everyone came in the league and they said, well, he's a seven-footer who can't really post well, but he can shoot, he can post up on the mid posts from the elbows. He can isolate and always get a shot from the nail or the mid-range areas.
“He was an incredible closer. So it was a different way to finish games too, with a player like that, who wasn't in the post or wasn't on the perimeter, but kind of took mid-range spaces and was able to isolate and look over the defense. It got you leaning one way or the other, he was up in the air and it's such a high release, you know, it was devastating.
“So I think he had a big impact on the game. And I think he's definitely influenced a lot of young players, especially taller kids that, you know, maybe didn't feel comfortable in the post and what's happened now. You know, we don't really post up anymore unless you're one or two or three people or you got a mismatch.”
Since leaving the court, Nash has been busy in other sports too. A lifelong Tottenham Hotspur fan, he has also become a part-owner of LaLiga club Real Mallorca
Following Spurs has given him moments to cherish alongside his storied career, but how do they match up emotionally?
“I definitely cried on TV in America when Spurs beat Ajax in the semi-final of the Champions League, which was embarrassing. I think in that moment, I don't know if you remember the game, Lucas Moura scored a hat-trick to come back to win in Amsterdam. And, you know, the dramatic nature of it, honestly, I love, love my club, but I never really thought I'd see Spurs in a Champions League final.
“And so to realise it in a dramatic fashion like that, I think it also was nostalgic for just, you know, my dad, my brother, my grandfather, my cousins, like, you know, what it means and how it's connected us all for, for, you know, 50 years now. It was very emotional in that respect, but I never thought about or never really was conscious of, like, how you would feel because there's this thing that's tied you all together throughout your life. So, yeah, it got, got, got quite emotional there.
“In the NBA, once or twice, you know, you get emotional and not quite making the finals, losing in the, in the conference finals, feeling like you let your team down as the leader and not finding a way, not even playing well, but not finding a way. And that could be quite emotional as well. So, yeah, long live sport, you know, it's great.”
Listen to the full interview with Nash right here.