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Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, where he was an eight-time All-Star, a seven-time All-NBA selection, and a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player. He ranks as one of the top players in NBA history in career three-point shooting, free-throw shooting, total assists, and assists per game. In 2018, he was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
. Nash grew up playing several sports, and after a successful
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
basketball career in
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, earned a scholarship to Santa Clara University in California. In his four seasons with the Broncos, the team appeared in three NCAA tournaments, 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. He was taken as the 15th pick in the 1996 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, but had little impact and was traded to the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
in 1998. By his fourth season with the Mavericks, he was voted to his first NBA All-Star Game and earned his first All-NBA selection. The following season, Nash,
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the great ...
, and Michael Finley led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals. He became a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
after the and returned to the Phoenix Suns. In the , Nash led the Suns to the Western Conference finals and was named the league's MVP. He was named MVP again in the and was runner-up for a third consecutive MVP to Nowitzki in 2006–07. At various points in his career, Nash led the league in assists and
free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
percentage. Nash has been honoured for his contributions to various philanthropic causes. In 2006, ''Time'' named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Nash was appointed to the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
in 2007 and invested to the order in 2016, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Victoria in 2008. Nash has been a co-owner of the
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The MLS ite ...
of
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
(MLS) since the team entered the league in 2011. From 2012 to 2019, he served as general manager of the Canadian men's national basketball team, for whom he played from 1991 to 2003, making one Olympic appearance and being twice named FIBA AmeriCup MVP. In 2021, Nash was named to the
NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
.


Early life

Nash was born in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, South Africa, to a Welsh mother, Jean, and English father, John, on 7 February 1974.About Steve
, stevenash.org. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
His family moved to
Regina, Saskatchewan Regina ( ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 Canadian census, ...
, when he was 18 months old, before settling in
Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...
.Steve Nash
, jockbio.com. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
He holds British as well as Canadian citizenship. Before the family settled in Canada, his father played professional
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
in various parts of the world. Nash often played soccer and
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
with his younger brother
Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...
, and he did not start playing basketball until he was 12 or 13 years old;My Amazing Journey: Steve Nash
National Basketball Association. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
he also played rugby and lacrosse. In grade eight, he told his mother that one day he would play in the NBA and become a star. He was a neighbour to future
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
stars Russ and Geoff Courtnall, who used to babysit him and played soccer coached by Nash's father. 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. There, he starred in basketball, soccer, and
rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
. While playing basketball during his senior season, Nash averaged 21.3 points, 11.2 assists, and 9.1 rebounds per game.Steve Nash Bio Page
, National Basketball Association. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
In the 1991–92 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.


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, 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 The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
winner to figure out this guy's pretty good. It was just a case of hoping that none of the big names came around." However, Davey also told Nash he was "the worst defensive player" he had ever seen. Nash was awarded a scholarship by Santa Clara for the 1992–93 season. 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 2 seeded
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
in the first round of the
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...
. In that game, Nash scored six straight
free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
s in the last 30 seconds of the contest. Although
Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
defeated Santa Clara in the next round, the 1992–93 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. The team rebounded in the 1994–95 season, with Nash being named Conference Player of the Year and the Broncos topping the WCC. Featuring the league leader for scoring and assists in Nash, the Broncos returned to the NCAA tournament, but
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...
defeated them. 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 1995 NBA draft. In the 1995–96 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 Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
and
Gary Payton Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best know ...
. 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. He scored 28 points in leading the No. 10 seed Broncos to a first-round upset win over No. 7 seed
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, but then the Broncos were eliminated by
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
. Nash's performances ensured that he earned an honourable mention
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
as a senior by
The Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are distributed to its members, major ...
and the USBWA. He also finished his career as Santa Clara's all-time leader in assists (510), free throw percentage (.862), and made and attempted three-pointers (263–656). He remains third on the school's all-time scoring list (1,689) and holds Santa Clara's single-season free throw percentage record (.894). In September 2006, Nash's jersey was retired, becoming the first Santa Clara student-athlete to receive that honour.


Professional career


Phoenix Suns (1996–1998)

After graduating with a degree in sociology, Nash was selected 15th overall by the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
in the first round of the 1996 NBA draft. Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the relatively unknown player. 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 Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall in th ...
, and later,
Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
. Both Johnson and Cassell had
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
experience, while Kidd was the second overall pick in the
1994 NBA draft The 1994 NBA draft took place on June 29, 1994, at Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. Two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season. Kidd and Hill ...
and already an All-Star when he arrived at Phoenix. In his rookie season, Nash only managed 10.5 minutes a game, 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. 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 The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
under his father,
Don Nelson Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...
, and convinced him to acquire the under-utilised Nash. Following the
1998 NBA draft The 1998 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1998, at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around four struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, the Boston Celtics, and the Tor ...
, 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).


Dallas Mavericks (1998–2004)

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 ) he started in all 40 games he played in, and averaged 7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.Steve Nash Info Page – Career Stats and Totals
, National Basketball Association. Retrieved 22 September 2007.
The 19–31 Mavericks failed to make the 1999 playoffs, but in the 1999–2000 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. He finished the season with averages of 8.6 points and 4.9 assists per game. More importantly for the team, second-year teammate and friend
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the great ...
was blossoming quickly into a top player, veteran Michael Finley was having an
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
-calibre year, and the team's new owner, billionaire
Mark Cuban Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American businessman and television personality. He is the former principal owner and current minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and co-owner of 2929 Entertain ...
, was bringing new energy and excitement to the franchise. Nash now had a supportive environment in which he could thrive. In the , Nash averaged 15.6 points and 7.3 assists per game in a breakout season. 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 The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, but it marked the beginning of a memorable run for Nash and the Mavericks. In the , Nash posted career-highs of 17.9 points and 7.7 assists per game and earned a spot in the NBA All-Star Game and on the All-NBA Third Team.Steve Nash
, basketball-reference.com. Retrieved 22 September 2007.
He was now an All-Star, increasingly appearing in television commercials and, with Finley and Nowitzki, a part of the Dallas Mavericks "Big Three". Dallas earned another trip to the playoffs but lost again in the Semifinals to the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
four games to one. Nash closely replicated his previous season's performance in the , averaging 17.7 points and 7.3 assists per game, again earning All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honours. Nowitzki and Nash led the Mavericks from a 14-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 The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
four games to two. It was only the second Conference finals appearance in the franchise's history. The 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 (8.8) and free throw accuracy (91.6%). In the 2004 playoffs, the fifth-seeded Dallas failed to make progress yet again as the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
saw them off four games to one. After the 2003–04 season, Nash became a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
. 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 30-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 The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
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 . The Canadian would go on to win two League MVP awards with Phoenix, and on a 14 June 2006 appearance on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'', 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?"


Return to Phoenix (2004–2012)


2004–05 season

Nash joined a Suns team which had emerging young players in Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson, and
Amar'e Stoudemire Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire (born November 16, 1982) is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
. In the season before Nash arrived, the Suns had recorded a 29–53 win–loss record, and they were projected to have another poor season. Head coach
Mike D'Antoni Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While h ...
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 2004, Nash recorded 22 points, 18 assists and 4 steals in a 122–111 win over the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
. 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 110.4, the highest in a decade. The catalyst of this turnaround, Nash averaged 11.5 assists per game while making 50.2% of his field goals and 43.1% of his three-pointers in the regular season.Kalb, Elliot
"On the Rise?"
National Basketball Association. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
He edged
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
to win the NBA MVP award, becoming the first Canadian to earn the honour, as well as the third point guard ever to be named MVP, along with
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
and
Bob Cousy Robert Joseph Cousy ( , born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. He played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969–70 season. A 13-time NBA ...
. In the 2005 playoffs, Phoenix swept the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
in four games before meeting the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
in the second round.At a Glance
National Basketball Association/playoffs2005. Retrieved 17 November 2007.
Nash led the Suns to a 4–2 series win, and the Suns reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1993, but lost to the eventual NBA Champions and arch-rival, the San Antonio Spurs, in five games.


2005–06 season

In the next season, Stoudemire suffered a serious knee injury, and Johnson and Quentin Richardson were traded away.Faye, Brad and Greene, Josh
"Another SUN-believable Season"
National Basketball Association/suns. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
The Suns were not expected to repeat their successful 2005 season, but with Nash directing the same high-tempo offence, the team compiled a respectable 54–28 record and won the division title. On 2 January 2006, Nash recorded 28 points, 5 rebounds and 22 assists in a 140–133 triple overtime loss to the New York Knicks. The Suns were again the highest-scoring team in the league with seven players averaging double figures in points per game, and Nash was voted for the first time to start for the 2006 Western All-Star team. In the last game of the season, Nash recorded a triple-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a 106–96 road win over the Trail Blazers. Having recorded career highs in points (18.8), rebounds (4.2), field goal percentage (.512) and free throw percentage (a league-leading .921), and leading the league with 10.5 assists per game, Nash was named the league MVP for the second year in a row. In the first round of the 2006 playoffs, Phoenix overcame a 3–1 deficit against the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
and won the series 4–3. The Los Angeles Clippers were their Conference semifinals opponents, and the Suns again needed seven games to clinch the series. For the second year in a row, however, the Suns bowed out in the conference finals, this time to Nash's former team, Dallas.


2006–07 season

In the , Nash had another stellar campaign, averaging 18.6 points and a career-high 11.6 assists per game while becoming the first person since Magic Johnson in to average 18 points and 11 assists per game during the regular season.Bryant, Nowitzki, Duncan also part of All-NBA team
ESPN, 14 May 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
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 Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
and Shaquille O'Neal in . Nash received 129 first-place votes and 645 total points from the panel of 129 media members. He narrowly missed being MVP a third consecutive time, coming in second with 44 first place votes to 83 for
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the great ...
. In the 2007 playoffs, the Suns eliminated the Lakers in five games before losing 4–2 to the Spurs in the conference semifinals.


2007–08 season

Nash played in 81 regular season games during the ; in this campaign, the Western Conference was especially competitive and he led the Suns to 55 wins and the sixth seed for the 2008 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 2005–06 MVP campaign (shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from the three-point arc, and 90% from the free throw line). On 31 January 2008, he collected his All-Star stripes for the sixth time in his career. However, Nash continued to experience agony in the playoffs. Despite a mid-season trade that sent Shawn Marion to the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
and brought four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal to the team, the Suns were defeated in the first round of the 2008 playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in four years.Spurs KO Rattled Suns to Close Out Series
National Basketball Association, 30 April 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2008.
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. Nevertheless, Nash was later named to the All-NBA Second Team for the 2007–08 season.


2008–09 season

Before the began, coach D'Antoni was replaced by
Terry Porter Terry Porter (born April 8, 1963) is an American former college basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was most recently the head men's basketball coach at the Portland Pilots, University of Portland ...
, 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 Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod (born 16 April 1982), better known as Boris Diaw, is a French basketball executive and former player who is the president of Metropolitans 92 of LNB Pro A. Diaw began his playing career in Pro A and returned to that lea ...
to the Charlotte Bobcats for athletic swingman Jason Richardson 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 2009 playoffs, resulting in Nash missing the playoffs for the first time since he returned to Phoenix for his second stint.


2009–10 season

Nash and the Suns opened the with a series of strong performances, going 8–1 in their first nine games (a franchise-best since ), with Nash producing two 20-assists games. On 21 January 2010, Nash was named as the starting point guard for the West for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. 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 2010 playoffs with 54 wins. Behind solid performances by Richardson and veteran
Grant Hill Grant Henry Hill (born October 5, 1972) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a part-owner of Orlando City SC of Major League ...
, the Suns defeated the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
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. A
Ron Artest Metta Sandiford-Artest (born Ronald William Artest Jr., November 13, 1979), previously legally named Metta World Peace, is an American former professional basketball player who played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Un ...
buzzer-beater in Game 5 pushed the Lakers one game closer to the Finals, and
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
's 37 points in Game 6 completed the defeat of the Suns.


2010–11 season

The Suns underwent two major roster changes in the . During the pre-season, Stoudemire left for
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, while longtime teammate Leandro Barbosa was traded for Hedo Türkoğlu.
Josh Childress Joshua Malik Childress (born June 20, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. An All-EuroLeague Second Team member in 2010, he played with the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, and New Orleans Pelicans of the Natio ...
, 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 Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
for
Vince Carter Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 22 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, b ...
, Marcin Gortat, and Mickaël Piétrus, while rising star
Goran Dragić Goran Dragić (born 6 May 1986) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Dragon", he played professional basketball in Slovenia and Spain before entering the NBA in 2008. Dragić also played for the Phoenix Suns, Miam ...
was traded to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
for Aaron Brooks.Phoenix Suns Report Card
National Basketball Association. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
The Suns had difficulty being even a .500 team, and for the second time since Nash returned to Phoenix, the Suns failed to make the 2011 playoffs.


2011–12 season

In February 2012, Nash was named to his eighth All-Star Game. At the time, he was leading the NBA in assists per game. On 21 April 2012, Nash passed
Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
for career assists versus the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. Despite his stellar play the Suns missed the 2012 playoffs for the second consecutive time. He finished the season averaging 12.5 points and 10.7 assists per game on 53.2% shooting from the field (tying his career high). Near the end of the 2011–12 season, Nash was named the winner of the PBWA's Magic Johnson Award.


Los Angeles Lakers (2012–2015)


2012–13 season

On 11 July 2012, the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
acquired Nash in a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix. Nash also considered signing with New York or Toronto, but he decided that Los Angeles was the best fit for him and his family. Nash switched his jersey number, as his customary No. 13 was retired by Los Angeles in honour of
Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
. Nash, an avid soccer fan, chose No. 10 to pay homage to
Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle (born 27 October 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He currently works as a television pundit and commentator for ITV Sport and TNT Sports. He played as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, Chelsea and ...
,
Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; ; ''Zineddin Lyazid Zidan''; ; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as an attacking midfi ...
,
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...
and other soccer
playmaker In association football, a playmaker is a footballer who controls the flow of the team's play, and is often involved in offensively and defensively playing Passing (association football), passing moves which lead to Goal (sport), goals, through ...
s who wore the number. Entering his 17th NBA season, Nash came to the Lakers with concerns over his defense and the health of his back. In the second game of the 2012–13 season, Nash suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left leg after a collision with
Damian Lillard Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. (born July 15, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Dame Time", he played college basketball for the Weber State Wi ...
of the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. He was expected to miss at least one week, but was out of the lineup for close to seven weeks. He was reunited with D'Antoni, who took over as Lakers coach after Mike Brown was fired after a 1–4 start. On 22 December, Nash returned against the Golden State Warriors, helping the Lakers win their first overtime game of the season, 118–115, scoring 12 points with 9 assists in 41 minutes of play. The Lakers won three of the first four games after Nash returned. However, they lost their next four, including a 125–112 loss to Houston on 8 January 2013, when Nash assisted on an Antawn Jamison jumper to become the fifth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career assists.
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
was moved to defend the opponent's primary ball handler, freeing Nash from unfavourable matchups. Nash also struggled with Dwight Howard to run the
pick and roll The pick and roll (also called a ball screen or screen and roll) in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen (sports), screen (pick) for a teammate handling the ball and then moves toward the basket (rolls) to receive a pa ...
, a play that D'Antoni had expected would be a staple for the Lakers. D'Antoni moved Nash off the ball and made him more of a spot-up shooter, while Bryant became the primary facilitator on offense. 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, but were swept 4–0 by San Antonio in the first round. Nash missed the last two games of the series after recurring issues with his hip and hamstring. 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 (6.7) since 1999–2000, when he was a part-time starter with Dallas.


2013–14 season

During the 2013–14 season, Nash continued to suffer nerve problems stemming from his leg injury the prior season. In November 2013, he was sidelined for an estimated minimum of two weeks due to nerve root irritation. Nash returned on 4 February 2014, shooting 3-for-6 for 7 points. On 7 February 2014, his 40th birthday, he scored a season-high 19 points in a victory over the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
. 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.


2014–15 season

In July 2014, Nash announced that the 2014–15 season would be his last. During the preseason, he experienced back pain, and further aggravated his back while lifting luggage. On 23 October, less than a week before the start of what would have been the 40-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."


Retirement and consulting duties

Nash announced his retirement from playing on 21 March 2015. Before the announcement, the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
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 due to health concerns and his wanting to retire as a Laker in gratitude for the opportunity given by the club. Nash was later approached by another former team of his, the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
, to have one last season with them instead, but he declined due to his aforementioned health concerns. On 25 September 2015, it was confirmed that Nash would take on part-time consulting duties for the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
. During his first season with the team, the Warriors produced a record-breaking 73–9 season, although the team fell short in the
2016 NBA Finals The 2016 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2015–16 NBA season, 2015–16 season and conclusion of the 2016 NBA playoffs, season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven series, and a rema ...
to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The next season, the Warriors would win the 2017 NBA Finals against the defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers, giving Nash his first NBA championship in any role. On 19 December 2017, the
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
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 2018. On 31 March 2018, during the Final Four, it was announced that Nash along with former teammates
Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
and
Grant Hill Grant Henry Hill (born October 5, 1972) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a part-owner of Orlando City SC of Major League ...
, as well as
Ray Allen Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
,
Maurice Cheeks Maurice Edward Cheeks (born September 8, 1956) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of ...
, and Charlie Scott would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Nash was formally inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on 7 September 2018. In October 2021, Nash was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the 
NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
.


Coaching career


Brooklyn Nets (2020–2022)

On 3 September 2020, Nash was announced as head coach of the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
. On 3 March 2021, 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 Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
won it twice in 2014. Nash led the Nets to an Eastern Conference-best record of 9–4 during the month, including a conference-best 5–2 road record. Nash led the Nets to a 48–24 record in his first season as head coach. After the 2020–21 regular season Nash finished in sixth place in the
NBA Coach of the Year The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who l ...
voting. On 27 October 2022, Nash received two technical fouls and was ejected for arguing with and yelling at referees, during a 110–99 loss to the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. On 1 November, Nash and the Nets agreed to part ways amid controversies revolving around the team's players.


National team career

In the early 1990s, Nash was cut from the Canadian junior national team by head coach Ken Olynyk, the father of future NBA player Kelly Olynyk. At age 17, he was the youngest member of Team Canada at the
1991 Summer Universiade __NOTOC__ The 1991 Summer Universiade, officially known as the XVI Summer Universiade and generally referred to as the World Student Games, were held in Sheffield, England from 14 to 25 July 1991. The Games were the largest sporting event to be ho ...
, where the team won a silver medal.Can't Miss: The Kevin Pangos Story
Chris Dooley. Accessed on 20 March 2016.
In 1993, 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 The FISU World University Games, formerly the Universiade, is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The former name is a portmanteau of the words "Universi ...
. 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, which included players such as Michael Finley and Damon Stoudamire. At the 1999 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. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Nash led Canada to win their round robin group with a victory over
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and a stunning 83–75 win over favoured
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
when he scored 26 points with eight rebounds and eight assists. Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a five-point loss to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
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."Daniels, Craig, , canoe.ca, 29 September 2000. Retrieved 30 September 2007. Nevertheless, he did see a possible silver lining, saying "Hopefully kids n Canadawill be inspired to play... that's what I really hope." A victory in its final game of the tournament, a placement game against
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, enabled Canada to salvage seventh place. Nash's Olympic performance propelled him to stardom in Canada, and he finished fifth in voting for the 2000
Lionel Conacher Award The Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press (CP) first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the ...
, which is handed out to the Canadian male athlete of the year. Nash again led Team Canada during qualifying for the
2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
at the FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...
. 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 2004. In December 2007, he said, "In my mind right now, I'm not going to play for Canada any more." On 8 May 2012, Nash became general manager of the Canadian senior national team. Three months later, he rehired Triano as head coach. On 5 March 2019, 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 11.5 assists per game in 2004–05, 10.5 in 2005–06, 11.6 in 2006–07, 11.0 in 2009–10 and 11.4 in 2010–11 and won the NBA Skills Challenge in 2005 and 2010. As of the end of 2012–13 season, he had a 90.4% career
free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
shooting average (formerly the best in NBA history, second to
Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Chef Curry", he is widely regarded as the ...
) and a 42.8% 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 1986–87 season) in regular season point–assist double doubles. In the 2005–06 season, Nash became the fourth player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better from the field, 40% from three-point range (43.9), and 90% from the line, joining
Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
,
Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year career in the National Basketball Assoc ...
, and
Mark Price William Mark Price (born February 15, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. The last coaching job he held was as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball, Charlotte 49ers. As a four-time NBA All-Star and ...
in the 50–40–90 club. Nash would repeat this feat three more times in the 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10 campaigns. Nash (four times), Larry Bird and
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
(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 Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
and
Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Chef Curry", he is widely regarded as the ...
) 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 Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
and Curry). Only 12 other NBA players have won back-to-back MVP awards: Johnson, Jordan,
Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played Center (basketball), center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was t ...
,
Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
,
Moses Malone Moses Eugene Malone Sr. (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A ...
,
Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
,
Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Sp ...
,
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
,
Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Chef Curry", he is widely regarded as the ...
,
Giannis Antetokounmpo Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo ( Adetokunbo; born December 6, 1994) is a Nigerian-Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His size, speed, and strength have earned him the nick ...
, and
Nikola Jokić Nikola Jokić ( ; sr-Cyrl, Никола Јокић ; born February 19, 1995) is a Serbian professional basketball player who is a Center (basketball), center for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the ...
. On 12 January 2016,
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
.com rated Nash as the seventh-best point guard of all time, and in a survey by nba.com in 2007, Nash received 85% of the votes by the league's general managers as best point guard in the league. In a similar survey in 2009, 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 Dirk Werner Nowitzki (; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the great ...
for the 2007 NBA MVP,
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
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. He creates an atmosphere where they win games." Nash was particularly effective playing the
pick and roll The pick and roll (also called a ball screen or screen and roll) in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen (sports), screen (pick) for a teammate handling the ball and then moves toward the basket (rolls) to receive a pa ...
, especially with Nowitzki when he was with the Mavericks and later with the Suns'
Amar'e Stoudemire Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire (born November 16, 1982) is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
and Shawn Marion under head coach
Mike D'Antoni Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While h ...
. When Nash returned to Phoenix in 2004, he helped the Suns improve from a 29–53 record in 2003–04 to 62–20 in 2004–05, 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 Brian Wade Grant (born March 5, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward (basketball), power forward and Center (basketball), center positions for five teams during 12 seasons in the National Basket ...
). Further, Nash was responsible for seven of his teammates attaining career-highs in season scoring. With Nash operating at the point between the 2005–06 and 2009–10 seasons, the Suns led the league in field goal percentage. In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary ''
The Athletic ''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...
'' ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Nash as the 38th greatest player in NBA history.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 65 , , 2 , , 10.5 , , .423 , , .418 , , .824 , , 1.0 , , 2.1 , , .3 , , .0 , , 3.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 76 , , 9 , , 21.9 , , .459 , , .415 , , .860 , , 2.1 , , 3.4 , , .8 , , .1 , , 9.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 40 , , 40 , , 31.7 , , .363 , , .374 , , .826 , , 2.9 , , 5.5 , , .9 , , .1 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 56 , , 27 , , 27.4 , , .477 , , .403 , , .882 , , 2.2 , , 4.9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 8.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 70 , , 70 , , 34.1 , , .487 , , .406 , , .895 , , 3.2 , , 7.3 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 82 , , 82 , , 34.6 , , .483 , , .455 , , .887 , , 3.1 , , 7.7 , , .6 , , .0 , , 17.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 33.1 , , .465 , , .413 , , .909 , , 2.9 , , 7.3 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 17.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 78 , , 78 , , 33.5 , , .470 , , .405 , , .916 , , 3.0 , , 8.8 , , .9 , , .1 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 75 , , 75 , , 34.3 , , .502 , , .431 , , .887 , , 3.3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 11.5* , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 15.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 79 , , 79 , , 35.4 , , .512 , , .439 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .921* , , 4.2 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 10.5* , , .8 , , .2 , , 18.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 76 , , 76 , , 35.3 , , .532 , , .455 , , .899 , , 3.5 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 11.6* , , .8 , , .1 , , 18.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 81 , , 81 , , 34.3 , , .504 , , .470 , , .906 , , 3.5 , , 11.1 , , .7 , , .1 , , 16.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 74 , , 74 , , 33.6 , , .503 , , .439 , , .933 , , 3.0 , , 9.7 , , .7 , , .1 , , 15.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 81 , , 81 , , 32.8 , , .507 , , .426 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .938* , , 3.3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 11.0* , , .5 , , .1 , , 16.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 75 , , 75 , , 33.3 , , .492 , , .395 , , .912 , , 3.5 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 11.4* , , .6 , , .1 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 62 , , 62 , , 31.6 , , .532 , , .390 , , .894 , , 3.0 , , 10.7 , , .6 , , .1 , , 12.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 50 , , 50 , , 32.5 , , .497 , , .438 , , .922 , , 2.8 , , 6.7 , , .6 , , .1 , , 12.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 15 , , 10 , , 20.9 , , .383 , , .333 , , .917 , , 1.9 , , 5.7 , , .5 , , .1 , , 6.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 1,217 , , 1,052 , , 31.3 , , .490 , , .428 , , .904 , , 3.0 , , 8.5 , , .7 , , .1 , , 14.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 7 , , 2 , , 15.9 , , .429 , , .250 , , .000 , , 2.0 , , 6.7 , , .4 , , .1 , , 3.7


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 4 , , 0 , , 3.8 , , .222 , , .250 , , .000 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 1.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 4 , , 1 , , 12.8 , , .444 , , .200 , , .625 , , 2.5 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , .0 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 10 , , 10 , , 37.0 , , .417 , , .410 , , .882 , , 3.2 , , 6.4 , , .6 , , .1 , , 13.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 8 , , 8 , , 40.4 , , .432 , , .444 , , .971 , , 4.0 , , 8.8 , , .5 , , .0 , , 19.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 20 , , 20 , , 36.5 , , .447 , , .487 , , .873 , , 3.5 , , 7.3 , , .9 , , .1 , , 16.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 39.4 , , .386 , , .375 , , .889 , , 5.2 , , 9.0 , , .8 , , .0 , , 13.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 15 , , 15 , , 40.7 , , .520 , , .389 , , .919 , , 4.8 , , 11.3 , , .9 , , .2 , , 23.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 20 , , 20 , , 39.9 , , .502 , , .368 , , .912 , , 3.7 , , 10.2 , , .4 , , .3 , , 20.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 11 , , 11 , , 37.5 , , .463 , , .487 , , .891 , , 3.2 , , 13.3 , , .4 , , .1 , , 18.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 5 , , 5 , , 36.6 , , .457 , , .300 , , .917 , , 2.8 , , 7.8 , , .4 , , .2 , , 16.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 16 , , 16 , , 33.7 , , .518 , , .380 , , .893 , , 3.3 , , 10.1 , , .3 , , .1 , , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 2 , , 2 , , 30.5 , , .435 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 2.5 , , 4.5 , , .0 , , .0 , , 12.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 120 , , 113 , , 35.7 , , .473 , , .406 , , .900 , , 3.5 , , 8.8 , , .6 , , .1 , , 17.3


College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1992–93 , style="text-align:left;", Santa Clara , 31 , , , , 24.0 , , .424 , , .408 , , .825 , , 2.5 , , 2.2 , , .8 , , .1 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1993–94 , style="text-align:left;", Santa Clara , 26 , , 23 , , 29.9 , , .414 , , .399 , , .831 , , 2.5 , , 3.7 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , 14.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1994–95 , style="text-align:left;", Santa Clara , 27 , , 27 , , 33.4 , , .444 , , .454 , , .879 , , 3.8 , , 6.4 , , 1.8 , , .1 , , 20.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1995–96 , style="text-align:left;", Santa Clara , 29 , , , , 33.8 , , .430 , , .344 , , .894 , , 3.6 , , 6.0 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , 17.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 113 , , , , 30.1 , , .430 , , .401 , , .867 , , 3.1 , , 4.5 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 14.9


Head coaching record

, - , style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, style="text-align:left;", , 72, , 48, , 24, , , , style="text-align:center;", 2nd in
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
, , 12, , 7, , 5, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in conference semifinals , - , style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, style="text-align:left;", , 82, , 44, , 38, , , , style="text-align:center;", 4th in Atlantic, , 4, , 0, , 4, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in
first round First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
, - , style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, style="text-align:left;", , 7, , 2, , 5, , , , style="text-align:center;", (fired), , —, , —, , —, , — , style="text-align:center;", — , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 161, , 94, , 67, , , ,  , , 16, , 7, , 9, , , ,  


Awards and achievements

;NBA * 2×
NBA Most Valuable Player The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jor ...
: 2005, 2006 * 8×
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
: 2002, 2003, 2005–2008, 2010, 2012 * 7× All-NBA selection: ** First team: 2005–2007 ** Second team: 2008, 2010 ** Third team: 2002, 2003 * 2× NBA Skills Challenge winner: 2005, 2010 * 5× NBA regular season leader for assists per game: 2005 (11.5), 2006 (10.5), 2007 (11.6), 2010 (11.0), 2011 (11.4) * 6× NBA regular season leader for total assists: 2005 (861), 2006 (826), 2007 (884), 2010 (892), 2011 (855), 2012 (664) * 2× NBA regular season leader for free throw percentage: 2006 (.921), 2010 (.938) * 7× NBA regular season leader for assists per 48 minutes: 2004 (12.6), 2005 (16.1), 2006 (14.2), 2007 (15.8), 2008 (15.5), 2010 (16.1), 2011 (16.4) * 4× member of 50–40–90 club: 2006, 2008–2010 ** 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 Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
and
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
) to have shot 50–40–90 more than once * J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: 2007 * Second-highest career
free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
percentage in NBA history (minimum 1,200 career attempts), 90.42 percent * Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor *
NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
;Other * Lou Marsh Trophy: 2005 * 3×
Lionel Conacher Award The Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press (CP) first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the ...
: 2002, 2005, 2006 *
Order of Sport The Order of Sport is a national level award established in 2019 by Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. It is awarded alongside induction into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, and regarded as Canada's highest sporting honour. Overview Canada’s Sp ...
, inducted into
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canada, it serves as a hall of fame and mu ...
in 2020–21


Sports ownership

Nash had also previously made statements about his intention to bring Major League Soccer to Vancouver as early as 2011, which he has succeeded in doing. He joined the USL-1's
Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, ...
team's ownership group in July 2008, and in March 2009, Vancouver was officially named as a future MLS expansion city, set to join the league in 2011. Nash occasionally attends practice for his co-owned team, called
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The MLS ite ...
. Nash, along with former
Yahoo! Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
president and fellow Victoria-native Jeff Mallett, were investors in
Women's Professional Soccer Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was the top-level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded six teams for the 2011 ...
, a soccer league that was launched in March 2009 and folded in May 2012. Nash cited his twin daughters and wanting to have role models for them to look up to as a reason for supporting the league. On 5 January 2016, it was announced that Nash was part of a group who purchased a $21 million stake in club
Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
. The group also included Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, Suns vice chairman Andy Kohlberg and former players of the United States national soccer team Stuart Holden and Kyle Martino. On 21 June 2021, Nash along with
Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
,
Dustin Johnson Dustin Hunter Johnson (born June 22, 1984) is an American professional golfer. He has won two Men's major golf championships, major championships, the 2016 U.S. Open (golf), 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a 4-under-par score of 276 ...
and
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
owner
Joe Tsai Joseph Chung-Hsin Tsai ( zh, t=蔡崇信, poj=Chhòa Chông-sìn; born January 1964) is a Taiwanese-Canadian billionaire business magnate, lawyer, and philanthropist. He is a co-founder and chairman of the Chinese multinational technology company ...
became owners in the
National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league comprises 14 teams8 in the United States and 6 in Canada. The NLL is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...
's new Las Vegas franchise, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.


Off the court


Personal life

In 2001, Nash met Alejandra Amarilla in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. They married in June 2005 and had twin daughters and a son. On the day of his son's birth, Nash made a statement to '' Life & Style'' in which he announced the birth but called it a "bittersweet moment", revealing that he and his wife had "lived separately for the past several months" and were "in the process of dissolving" their marriage. In March 2016, Nash became engaged to Lilla Frederick, a former
Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...
and junior women's U.S. team volleyball player. They married in September 2016. The couple have a son and a daughter. In 2006, Nash was referenced in Canadian singer
Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado ( , ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 45 million records, including 35 million in album sales worldwide, making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. Critics have noted ...
's song "
Promiscuous Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. The term can carry a moral judgment. A common example of behavior viewed as promiscuous by man ...
", leading him to deny rumours that they were romantically involved.Koha, Nui Te
"Songbird sexy and soaring"
. '' The Sunday Herald Sun''. 23 July 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2006.
They both grew up in British Columbia. Nash's younger brother,
Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...
, played soccer for the
Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, ...
and made 30 appearances for the Canadian national soccer team. Their younger sister, Joann, was the captain of the
University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...
Vikes women's soccer team for three years and was named a Canada West Universities Athletic Association
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
.McPeek, Jeramie
"The Canadian Kid"
National Basketball Association. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
She is married to former professional ice hockey player
Manny Malhotra Emmanuel "Manny" Noveen Malhotra (born May 18, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He is the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League (AHL), and was previously an assistant coach in the National ...
. Nash is the godfather of
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
star RJ Barrett. Nash has a medical condition called
spondylolisthesis Spondylolisthesis is when one spinal vertebra slips out of place compared to another. While some medical dictionaries define spondylolisthesis specifically as the forward or anterior displacement of a vertebra over the vertebra inferior to it (o ...
, which causes muscle tightness and
back pain Back pain (Latin: ''dorsalgia'') is pain felt in the back. It may be classified as neck pain (cervical), middle back pain (thoracic), lower back pain (lumbar) or coccydynia (tailbone or sacral pain) based on the segment affected. The lumbar area ...
. Due to the condition, when he was not playing in basketball games, he would lie on his back rather than sit on the bench to keep his muscles from stiffening.


Charity

In 2001, Nash founded the Steve Nash Foundation. Through grants to public service and nonprofit entities, the foundation aims to foster health in kids by funding projects that provide services to children affected by poverty, illness, abuse, or neglect, and create opportunities for education, play, and empowerment. It focuses its resources on communities in
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
and
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, and was given charitable status in 2004. The foundation was awarded the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy in 2008. Nash also founded the Jim Jennings Memorial Endowment Fund, established in honour of a volunteer staff member at Santa Clara University who served the basketball team for more than 20 years. Elsewhere, Nash sponsors the Steve Nash Youth Basketball League in British Columbia, which has grown over 10,000 participants. He also became involved with GuluWalk, a Canadian-operated charitable organization that raises awareness and funds for the war-affected children of northern
Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
. In September 2007, Nash and
Yao Ming Yao Ming ( zh, c=姚明; born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese basketball executive and former professional player. He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Baske ...
headlined a group of NBA players who travelled to China and played an exhibition game with the Chinese national basketball team. The charity event reportedly raised 2.5 million dollars, earmarked for Chinese children in need. In May 2006, Nash was named by ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In the accompanying write-up by
Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on NBA on TNT, TNT and CBS Sports. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "the Bread Truck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", ...
, Nash was lauded for his unselfishness on the basketball court, and being "just a nice guy" who had paid for a new
pediatric Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their youth ...
cardiology Cardiology () is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery di ...
ward in a
Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
an hospital. On 28 December 2007, it was announced that Nash would receive Canada's highest civilian honour, the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
, and on 3 June 2008, it was announced that Nash would receive a star on
Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame () in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a series of maple leaf-like stars embedded in 13 de ...
. On 18 September 2009, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria for his athletic achievements and philanthropic work on the behalf of young people through the Steve Nash Foundation.


Endorsements

Nash is selective in his endorsements, preferring companies he deems socially responsible. After winning his first MVP award, he was approached to serve as spokesperson for numerous products, including MDG Computers, Raymond Weil watches, Vitamin Water, and Clearly Canadian bottled water. He also has a longstanding relationship with Nike. Nash is represented by
agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
Bill Duffy.BDA Sports – What Our Clients Think
, bdasports.com. Retrieved 13 March 2008.


Soccer

Nash grew up playing
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
—he stated in a 2005 interview that he could have played professionally if he had focused on it—and continues to hold an interest in the sport. When
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the great ...
arrived in the NBA from Germany, he and Nash became close friends, in part because they enjoyed watching soccer together. Nash is friends with several professional soccer players, including
Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero (; born 9 November 1974) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. Since 2015, he has worked as a pundit for ...
,
Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry (; born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, sports broadcaster and former player. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and widely regarded as the greatest player in Premi ...
,
Owen Hargreaves Owen Lee Hargreaves (born 20 January 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was known as a hard-working and "solid defensive midfielder who worked tirelessly to win the ball" and provide his teammates with posses ...
,
Massimo Ambrosini Massimo Ambrosini (; born 29 May 1977) is an Italian former professional Association football, footballer who mainly played as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder. At club level, he is mostly known for his successful time at ...
and Steve McManaman. During his off-season, when he lives in New York City, he has trained with the
New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conferenc ...
of
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
, and once tried to arrange a pick-up game in the city's
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
with the Red Bulls and one of his local teams. Nash, whose father was born in the
Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
district of London, is a lifelong
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
supporter, and has expressed interest in owning a minority stake in the club. "I'd like to be an owner. It's something I could do for the rest of my life after my little window of popularity dies", he said in an interview with ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Nash added, "I've been a passionate supporter all my life. My parents are from north London and so it's not like I'm some Yank who wants to make a profit out of football. I don't care about making money. I just want to see Spurs succeed and, if I can help, that's great." However, he said any participation in Spurs would come after his basketball career is over, and he has had only "casual contact" with chairman Daniel Levy and former director of football Damien Comolli. Nash is also a fan of Spain's
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, and Brazilian team
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista Sport Club Corinthians Paulista () is a Brazilian professional sports club based in São Paulo, in the district of Tatuapé. Although it competes in multiple sports modalities, it is best known for its professional men's Association football, f ...
, which his former Suns teammate Leandro Barbosa supports. When Barbosa visited Corinthians in 2007, the club gave him a shirt with Nash's name and jersey number. Nash also co-hosted Showdown in Chinatown in 2008, an 8-on-8 charity soccer game held at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. He scored two goals in his team's 8–5 victory. Participants included
Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry (; born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, sports broadcaster and former player. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and widely regarded as the greatest player in Premi ...
,
Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
, Baron Davis and Suns teammates Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa. In July 2013, Nash participated in a training session with the Italian soccer club
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
at the
New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conferenc ...
' facilities in New Jersey. He also trained with the
New York Cosmos B New York Cosmos B were an American soccer team based in the New York metropolitan area that played in the National Premier Soccer League, the fourth tier of the United States soccer league system, as the reserve team of New York Cosmos. History ...
of the American fourth-division
National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and has automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. ...
in 2015. In 2023, Nash took part in The Soccer Tournament as a guest of
Como Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...
.


Other interests

Nash and a
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
-based partner, Leonard Schlemm, opened the first Steve Nash Sports Club in the spring of 2007 in downtown Vancouver, a high-end, $5 million, facility that will mirror Nash's own fitness philosophy. In 2007, Nash wrote and produced an 81-second commercial for Nike titled "Training Day", directed by
Julian Schnabel Julian Schnabel (born October 26, 1951) is an American painter and filmmaker. In the 1980s, he received international attention for his "plate paintings"—with broken ceramic plates set onto large-scale paintings. Since the 1990s, he has been a ...
's daughter Lola, which gained popularity as a
viral video Viral videos are video, videos that become popular through viral phenomenon, a viral process of Internet sharing, primarily through video sharing websites such as YouTube as well as social media and email.Lu Jiang, Yajie Miao, Yi Yang, ZhenZhon ...
on YouTube.Coro, Paul
"Nash sees filmmaking in future"
, ''The Arizona Republic'', 20 March 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
Nash also started a film production company together with his cousin, filmmaker Ezra Holland, and intends to produce
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
s. The first creative effort to come from Meathawk was a 91-second commercial, titled "The Sixty Million Dollar Man", for Nike's eco-friendly Trash Talk shoe, the first high-performance shoe to be made—at the behest of the environmentally conscious Nash—from recycled materials. Nash has worn the shoe since February 2008, but Nike produced only 5,000 pairs for sale. The ad, which broke virally on
Earth Day Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) includin ...
2008, was written by Nash and the directors of the spot, Danny Vaia and Ezra Holland. It is a spoof remake of the
title sequence A title screen (also called an opening screen or intro) is the method by which films or television show, television programmes present their title and key filmmaking, production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often an op ...
of the American television series ''
The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test f ...
'' and plays on Nash's numerous on-court collisions.
Amar'e Stoudemire Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire (born November 16, 1982) is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
and Raja Bell have
cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
s. Nash and Holland also co-directed the documentary ''Into the Wind'', about iconic Canadian athlete and activist
Terry Fox Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, having had one leg amputated due to cancer, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for can ...
, as part of ESPN's ''
30 for 30 ''30 for 30'' is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series und ...
'' series. In October 2013, Nash appeared in the music video for " City of Angels" by
Thirty Seconds to Mars Thirty Seconds to Mars (commonly stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American Rock music, rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Let ...
. In 2013, Nash was one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards presented by '' Canadian Immigrant'' magazine. At the
2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...
in Vancouver, Nash became the first NBA player in Olympic history to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron. Nash is also known for his outspoken political views. He was an early and public opponent of the 2003
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
, wearing a custom-made T-shirt to the 2003 NBA All Star Game that stated: "No war – Shoot for peace." Although Nash did get positive support from teammate
Nick Van Exel Nickey Maxwell Van Exel (born November 27, 1971) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who last served as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Van Exel played for six NBA ...
among others, he also drew criticism from David Robinson, a former Naval officer and fellow NBA player as well as commentators like Skip Bayless who criticized Nash as being uninformed and advised him to "just shut up and play." Nash has also been critical of Arizona's SB1070, legislation which seeks to aggressively address illegal immigration, as he felt "the law obviously can target opportunities for racial profiling." In August 2017, Nash was critical of President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
in the aftermath of the
2017 Unite the Right rally The Unite the Right rally was a White supremacy#United States, white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, from August 11 to 12, 2017. Marchers included members of the alt-right, neo-Confederates, neo-fascists, whi ...
, saying that "to defend
white supremacist White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...
s and then slang his shitty ass grape juice pretty much sums the man up," referring to a winery Donald Trump has in
Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...
.


See also

* List of Canadians in the National Basketball Association *
List of foreign NBA players In the National Basketball Association, players born outside of the United States are often known as international players. Players who were born in U.S. overseas territories, such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are considered inte ...
*
List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders This article provides two lists: :A list of National Basketball Association List of NBA players, players by total career season (sports), regular season assist (basketball), assists recorded :Progressive assist leaders list Assist leaders This is ...
*
List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders This article provides two lists: :A list of National Basketball Association List of NBA players, players by total career season (sports), regular season turnover (basketball), turnovers recorded. :A progressive list of turnover leaders showing how ...
*
List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders This article provides two lists: *A list of National Basketball Association, NBA career season (sports), regular season three-point field goals made. *A progressive list of three-point leaders showing how the record has increased through the years ...
* List of National Basketball Association career 3-point field goal percentage leaders * List of National Basketball Association career free throw percentage leaders *
List of National Basketball Association career games played leaders This is a list of basketball players who are the leaders in career regular season games played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). :''Statistics accurate as of the 2024–25 NBA season.'' See also * List of NBA regular season recor ...
*
List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders This article provides two lists: :A list of National Basketball Association (NBA) List of NBA players, players by total career Playoffs, playoff assist (basketball), assists recorded. :A progressive list of assist leaders showing how the record in ...
* List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders * List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders *
List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game This is a complete listing of National Basketball Association players who have recorded 22 or more assists in a game. 39 players have recorded 22 or more assists in a game. It has occurred 71 times in the regular season and six times in the play ...
* List of National Basketball Association retired numbers *
List of oldest and youngest National Basketball Association players This is a list of oldest and youngest National Basketball Association players. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men's professional basketball league in North America. The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of Ame ...
* List of sportspeople with dual nationality


References


Further reading

* Jeff Rud, (1996), ''Long Shot: Steve Nash's Journey to the NBA'', Polestar Books * Jeff Rud. (2007), ''Steve Nash: The Making of an MVP'', Puffin * * *Ryan Basen, (2007) ''Steve Nash: Leader on and Off the Court'', Enslow Publishers * *


External links

* * * * * * *
Steve Nash, winner of the Lionel Conacher Award and the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award: Virtual Museum of Canada Exhibit
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nash, Steve 1974 births Living people 1994 FIBA World Championship players Basketball people from British Columbia Basketball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Brooklyn Nets head coaches Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States Canadian men's basketball coaches Canadian men's basketball players Canadian people of English descent Canadian people of Welsh descent Canadian philanthropists Canadian soccer chairmen and investors Dallas Mavericks players FIBA Hall of Fame inductees Los Angeles Lakers players Northern Star Award winners Major League Soccer owners Members of the Order of British Columbia Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees NBA All-Stars NBA Most Valuable Player Award winners NBA players from Canada NBA players with retired numbers Naturalized citizens of Canada Officers of the Order of Canada Olympic basketball players for Canada Olympic cauldron lighters Phoenix Suns draft picks Phoenix Suns players Point guards Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball players Sportspeople from Johannesburg Sportspeople from Victoria, British Columbia St. Michaels University School alumni