Stephen John NashOC OBC (born 7 February 1974) is a retired Canadian professionalbasketball player and former coach who last served as head coach of theBrooklyn Nets of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, where he was an eight-timeAll-Star, a seven-timeAll-NBA selection, and a two-timeNBA Most Valuable Player. He ranks as one of the top players in NBA history in careerthree-point shooting, free-throw shooting, total assists, and assists per game. In 2018, he was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Nash grew up playing several sports, and after a successfulhigh school basketball career inBritish Columbia, earned a scholarship toSanta Clara University in California. In his four seasons with theBroncos, the team appeared in threeNCAA tournaments, and he was twice named theWest Coast Conference (WCC) Player of the Year. Nash graduated from Santa Clara as the team's all-time leader inassists.
He was taken as the 15th pick in the1996 NBA draft by thePhoenix Suns, but had little impact and was traded to theDallas Mavericks in 1998. By his fourth season with the Mavericks, he was voted to his firstNBA All-Star Game and earned his firstAll-NBA selection. Thefollowing season, Nash,Dirk Nowitzki, andMichael Finley led the Mavericks to theWestern Conference Finals. He became afree agent after the2003–04 season and returned to the Phoenix Suns. In the2004–05 season, Nash led the Suns to the Western Conference finals and was named the league's MVP. He was named MVP again in the2005–06 season and was runner-up for a third consecutive MVP to Nowitzki in2006–07. At various points in his career, Nash led the league in assists andfree throw 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 theOrder of Canada in 2007 and invested to the order in 2016, and was awarded an HonoraryDoctor of Laws from theUniversity of Victoria in 2008. Nash has been a co-owner of theVancouver Whitecaps FC ofMajor League Soccer (MLS) since the team entered the league in 2011. From 2012 to 2019, he served as general manager of theCanadian men's national basketball team, for whom he played from 1991 to 2003, making oneOlympic appearance and being twice namedFIBA AmeriCup MVP. In 2021, Nash was named to theNBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Nash was born inJohannesburg, South Africa, to a Welsh mother, Jean, and English father, John, on 7 February 1974.[2][3][4][5] His family moved toRegina, Saskatchewan, when he was 18 months old, before settling inVictoria, British Columbia.[5] He holds British as well as Canadian citizenship.[6] Before the family settled in Canada, his father played professionalsoccer in various parts of the world.[5] Nash often played soccer andice hockey with his younger brotherMartin, and he did not start playing basketball until he was 12 or 13 years old;[7] he also played rugby and lacrosse.[8] In grade eight, he told his mother that one day he would play in theNBA and become a star.[5] He was a neighbour to futureNHL starsRuss andGeoff Courtnall, who used to babysit him and played soccer coached by Nash's father.[9]
Nash originally attendedMount Douglas Secondary School inSaanich, British Columbia, but after his grades began to drop, his parents decided to enroll him atSt. Michaels University School, a private school inVictoria.[10] There, he starred in basketball, soccer, andrugby union. While playing basketball during his senior season, Nash averaged 21.3points, 11.2assists, and 9.1rebounds per game.[11] 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.[12]
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,[5] untilSanta Clara coachDick 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 aNobel Prize winner to figure out this guy's pretty good. It was just a case of hoping that none of the big names came around."[10] However, Davey also told Nash he was "the worst defensive player" he had ever seen.[10]
Nash was awarded a scholarship by Santa Clara for the1992–93 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 aWCC tournament title and an upset win over theNo. 2 seededArizona in the first round of theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[5] In that game, Nash scored six straightfree throws in the last 30 seconds of the contest.[10] AlthoughTemple 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.[5] The team rebounded in the1994–95 season, with Nash being named Conference Player of the Year and the Broncos topping the WCC.[5] Featuring the league leader for scoring and assists in Nash, the Broncos returned to the NCAA tournament, butMississippi State defeated them.[5] 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 the1995 NBA draft.[5]
My heroes wereIsiah Thomas,Michael Jordan,Magic Johnson. I think they were just so competitive and creative. Especially Isiah, he was somebody that wasn't very tall. He had played the game mostly on the floor and it made me feel that I could find a way to do the same.
In the1995–96 season, Nash began attracting the attention of the national media and professional scouts. He had spent the previous summer honing his skills, playing with theCanadian national team and working out with established NBA playersJason Kidd andGary Payton.[5] 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 sinceKurt Rambis.[11] He scored 28 points in leading the No. 10 seed Broncos to a first-round upset win over No. 7 seedMaryland, but then the Broncos were eliminated byKansas. Nash's performances ensured that he earned an honourable mentionAll-America as a senior byThe Associated Press and theUSBWA. He also finished his career as Santa Clara's all-time leader in assists (510), free throw percentage (.862), and made and attemptedthree-pointers (263–656).[11] 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).[11] In September 2006, Nash's jersey No. 11 was retired, becoming the first Santa Clara student-athlete to receive that honour.[13]
After graduating with a degree in sociology,[10] Nash was selected 15th overall by thePhoenix Suns in the first round of the1996 NBA draft. Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the relatively unknown player.[10] This was because despite his impressive college accomplishments, Nash had not played in one of themajor college conferences. A major influence in Phoenix's choice was assistant coachDonnie Nelson, who met Nash back in high school as he was coached by Nelson's friendKen Shields, and would eventually befriend the player as he played inSanta Clara. During his first two seasons in the NBA, Nash played a supporting role behind NBA star point guardsKevin Johnson,Sam Cassell, and later,Jason Kidd.[14] Both Johnson and Cassell hadNBA Finals experience, while Kidd was the second overall pick in the1994 NBA draft and already an All-Star when he arrived at Phoenix.
In his rookie season, Nash only managed 10.5 minutes a game,[15] 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.[5] Nevertheless, the Canadian's tenure with the Suns did not last. Nelson had just taken a job as assistant general manager of theDallas Mavericks under his father,Don Nelson, and convinced him to acquire the under-utilised Nash.[16] Following the1998 NBA draft, Nash was traded from the Suns to the Mavericks in exchange forMartin Müürsepp,Bubba Wells, the draft rights toPat Garrity and a first-round draft pick (who later turned out to be future Phoenix teammateShawn Marion).[17]
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 (thelockout-shortened1998–99 season) he started in all 40 games he played in, and averaged 7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.[15] The 19–31 Mavericks failed to make the1999 playoffs, but in the1999–2000 season, the team's prospects improved considerably. Nash missed 25 mid-season games due to an ankle injury, but came back to record sixdouble-doubles in the last month of play.[11] He finished the season with averages of 8.6 points and 4.9 assists per game.[15] More importantly for the team, second-year teammate and friendDirk Nowitzki was blossoming quickly into a top player, veteranMichael Finley was having anAll-Star-calibre year, and the team's new owner, billionaireMark Cuban, was bringing new energy and excitement to the franchise. Nash now had a supportive environment in which he could thrive.
In the2000–01 season, Nash averaged 15.6 points and 7.3 assists per game in a breakout season.[15] With Nash directing the team's offense, Nowitzki and Finley playing at their best, and the acquisition of All-StarJuwan Howard complementing the high-scoring trio, the Mavericksearned a playoff berth for the first time in more than a decade. Dallas lost in theWestern Conference Semifinals four games to one to theSan Antonio Spurs, but it marked the beginning of a memorable run for Nash and the Mavericks.[18] In the2001–02 season, Nash posted career-highs of 17.9 points and 7.7 assists per game[15] and earned a spot in theNBA All-Star Game and on theAll-NBA Third Team.[19][20] He was now an All-Star, increasingly appearing in television commercials and, with Finley and Nowitzki, a part of the Dallas Mavericks "Big Three".[21] Dallas earnedanother trip to the playoffs but lost again in the Semifinals to theSacramento Kings four games to one.[22]
Nash closely replicated his previous season's performance in the2002–03 season, averaging 17.7 points and 7.3 assists per game,[15] again earning All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honours.[19][23] 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, theSan Antonio Spurs four games to two.[24] It was only the second Conference finals appearance in the franchise's history. The2003–04 season saw an offensively boosted Mavericks roster (with the acquisitions ofAntoine Walker andAntawn 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%).[15] In the2004 playoffs, the fifth-seeded Dallas failed to make progress yet again as theSacramento Kings saw them off four games to one.[25]
After the 2003–04 season, Nash became afree agent. He attempted to negotiate a long-term contract with Cuban, who was paying Walker, Finley, Nowitzki and Jamison nearly $50 million in combined salaries that season. Cuban wanted to build his franchise around the younger Nowitzki and did not want to risk signing the 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. ThePhoenix Suns on the other hand offered the point guard a six-year, $63 million contract. Nash was reluctant to leave Dallas and returned to Cuban to see if he would match the deal; Cuban did not, and Nash signed with the Suns for the2004–05 season. The Canadian would go on to win twoLeague MVP awards with Phoenix, and on a 14 June 2006 appearance on theLate Show with David Letterman, Cuban wondered out loud, "... you know Steve's a great guy and I love him to death, but why couldn't he play like an MVP for us?"[26]
Nash joined a Suns team which had emerging young players inShawn Marion,Joe Johnson, andAmar'e Stoudemire. In the season before Nash arrived, the Suns had recorded a 29–53 win–loss record,[5] and they were projected to have another poor season. Head coachMike D'Antoni favoured an up-tempo style of basketball; this required smaller and more athletic players with the capability to outrun and outshoot their opponents. On 21 November 2004, Nash recorded 22 points, 18 assists and 4 steals in a 122–111 win over theLos Angeles Clippers.[27] 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.[28] 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.[15][29] He edgedShaquille O'Neal to win the2004–05NBA MVP award,[30] becoming the first Canadian to earn the honour, as well as the third point guard ever to be named MVP, along withMagic Johnson andBob Cousy.[11] In the2005 playoffs, Phoenix swept theMemphis Grizzlies in four games before meeting theDallas Mavericks in the second round.[31] Nash led the Suns to a 4–2 series win,[31] 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.[31]
In thenext season, Stoudemire suffered a serious knee injury, and Johnson andQuentin Richardson were traded away.[32] 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 thedivision title.[29][32] 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.[33] The Suns were again the highest-scoring team in the league with seven players averaging double figures in points per game,[32] and Nash was voted for the first time to start for the 2006 Western All-Star team.[34] 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.[35]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,[11] Nash was named the league MVP for the second year in a row.[36] In the first round of the2006 playoffs, Phoenix overcame a 3–1 deficit against theLos Angeles Lakers and won the series 4–3.[32] The Los Angeles Clippers were their Conference semifinals opponents, and the Suns again needed seven games to clinch the series.[32] For the second year in a row, however, the Suns bowed out in the conference finals, this time to Nash's former team, Dallas.[32]
In the2006–07 season, 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 in1990–91 to average 18 points and 11 assists per game during the regular season.[37] 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 sinceKobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in2003–04.[37] Nash received 129 first-place votes and 645 total points from the panel of 129 media members.[37] He narrowly missed being MVP a third consecutive time, coming in second with 44 first place votes to 83 forDirk Nowitzki.[38] In the2007 playoffs, the Suns eliminated the Lakers in five games before losing 4–2 to the Spurs in the conference semifinals.[39]
Nash played in 81 regular season games during the2007–08 season; in this campaign, the Western Conference was especially competitive and he led the Suns to 55 wins and the sixth seed for the2008 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).[15] On 31 January 2008, he collected his All-Star stripes for the sixth time in his career.[40] However, Nash continued to experience agony in the playoffs. Despite a mid-season trade that sent Shawn Marion to theMiami Heat and brought four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal to the team, the Suns were defeated in the first round of the2008 playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in four years.[41] 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.[41] Nevertheless, Nash was later named to the All-NBA Second Team for the 2007–08 season.[42]
Before the2008–09 season began, coach D'Antoni was replaced byTerry Porter, who preferred a more defensive-oriented style of basketball. The Suns had difficulties adapting to this new system, and even a December trade involving sending stalwartsRaja Bell andBoris Diaw to theCharlotte Bobcats for athleticswingmanJason Richardson[43] saw the team continue to struggle. Porter was then replaced byAlvin Gentry in February after a 28–23 record, but the Suns were unable to secure the final seed for the2009 playoffs,[44] resulting in Nash missing the playoffs for the first time since he returned to Phoenix for his second stint.
Nash and the Suns opened the2009–10 season with a series of strong performances, going 8–1 in their first nine games (a franchise-best since1980–81), with Nash producing two 20-assists games.[45] On 21 January 2010, Nash was named as the starting point guard for the West for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.[46] 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 the2010 playoffs with 54 wins. Behind solid performances by Richardson and veteranGrant Hill, the Suns defeated thePortland Trail Blazers 4–2 in the first round of the playoffs, and swept the Spurs 4–0 in the second round. The Suns met the defending champions, Los Angeles Lakers, in the conference finals. After losing the first two games, Phoenix won the next two to tie the series. ARon Artest buzzer-beater in Game 5 pushed the Lakers one game closer to the Finals, andKobe Bryant's 37 points in Game 6 completed the defeat of the Suns.
The Suns underwent two major roster changes in the2010–11 season. During the pre-season, Stoudemire left forNew York, while longtime teammateLeandro Barbosa was traded forHedo Türkoğlu.Josh Childress, andHakim Warrick were also recruited to join the Suns. Not long after the season began, Türkoğlu, Richardson, andEarl Clark were traded toOrlando forVince Carter,Marcin Gortat, andMickaël Piétrus, while rising starGoran Dragić was traded to theHouston Rockets forAaron Brooks.[47] The Suns had difficulty being even a .500 team, and for the second time since Nash returned to Phoenix, the Suns failed to make the2011 playoffs.
In February 2012, Nash was named to his eighth All-Star Game. At the time, he was leading the NBA in assists per game.[48] On 21 April 2012, Nash passedOscar Robertson for career assists versus theDenver Nuggets. Despite his stellar play the Suns missed the2012 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 the2011–12 season, Nash was named the winner of thePBWA'sMagic Johnson Award.
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On 11 July 2012, theLos Angeles Lakers acquired Nash in asign-and-trade deal with Phoenix.[49] Nash also considered signing with New York or Toronto, but he decided that Los Angeles was the best fit for him and his family.[50] Nash switched his jersey number, as his customary No. 13 wasretired by Los Angeles in honour ofWilt Chamberlain.[51][52] Nash,an avid soccer fan, chose No. 10 to pay homage toGlenn Hoddle,Zinedine Zidane,Lionel Messi and other soccerplaymakers who wore the number.[53] Entering his 17th NBA season, Nash came to the Lakers with concerns over his defense and the health of his back.[54]
In the second game of the2012–13 season, Nash suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left leg after a collision withDamian Lillard of thePortland Trail Blazers. He was expected to miss at least one week,[55][56] but was out of the lineup for close to seven weeks.[57] He was reunited with D'Antoni, who took over as Lakers coach afterMike Brown was fired after a 1–4 start.[58] 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.[59] 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 anAntawn Jamison jumper to become the fifth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career assists.[60]
Kobe Bryant was moved to defend the opponent's primary ball handler, freeing Nash from unfavourable matchups.[61] Nash also struggled withDwight Howard to run thepick and roll, a play that D'Antoni had expected would be a staple for the Lakers.[62] D'Antoni moved Nash off the ball and made him more of a spot-up shooter, while Bryant became the primary facilitator on offense.[63][64][65] 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,[66] but were swept 4–0 by San Antonio in the first round.[67] Nash missed the last two games of the series after recurring issues with his hip and hamstring.[54][67] 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.[54][68]
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During the2013–14 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.[69] 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 thePhiladelphia 76ers.[70] 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'sKirk Hinrich, and the Lakers wanted to giveKendall Marshall andJordan 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.[71][72]
In July 2014, Nash announced that the2014–15 season would be his last. During the preseason, he experienced back pain, and further aggravated his back while lifting luggage.[73] 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."[74]
Nash announced his retirement from playing on 21 March 2015.[75] Before the announcement, theCleveland Cavaliers told Nash's agent that they were interested in having him as a backup forKyrie 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.[76] Nash was later approached by another former team of his, theDallas Mavericks, to have one last season with them instead, but he declined due to his aforementioned health concerns.[77]
On 25 September 2015, it was confirmed that Nash would take on part-time consulting duties for theGolden State Warriors.[78] During his first season with the team, the Warriors produced a record-breaking 73–9 season, although the team fell short in the2016 NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The next season, the Warriors would win the2017 NBA Finals against the defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers, giving Nash his first NBA championship in any role.[79]
On 19 December 2017, theNaismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced that eligibility for induction into the Hall of Fame was decreased to three years after retirement, which allowed for Nash to be eligible to be enshrined in 2018.[80] On 31 March 2018, during the Final Four, it was announced that Nash – along with former teammatesJason Kidd andGrant Hill, as well asRay Allen,Maurice Cheeks, andCharlie Scott – would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.[81] Nash was formally inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on 7 September 2018.[82] 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.[83]
On 3 September 2020, Nash was announced as head coach of theBrooklyn Nets.[84][85]
On 3 March 2021, Nash was namedEastern Conference Coach of the Month for February, becoming the first Nets head coach to earn the honor since his former teammateJason Kidd 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.[86][87] Nash led the Nets to a 48–24 record in his first season as head coach.[88] After the2020–21 regular season, Nash finished in sixth place in theNBA Coach of the Year voting.[89]
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 theMilwaukee Bucks.[90][91] On 1 November, Nash and the Nets agreed to part ways amid controversies revolving around the team's players.[92][93]
In October 2025, Nash rejoined the Phoenix Suns organization as a senior advisor for the2025–26 NBA season.[94][95]
In 2025, Nash joinedLeBron James as a co-host on the second season of the basketball podcastMind the Game.[96] Shortly thereafter, Nash was announced to joinAmazon Prime's NBA coverage beginning in the2025–26 NBA season.[97]
In the early 1990s, Nash was cut from the Canadian junior national team by head coach Ken Olynyk, the father of future NBA playerKelly Olynyk.[98] At age 17, he was the youngest member of Team Canada at the1991 Summer Universiade, where the team won a silver medal.[99]
In 1993, while in college, he played for thesenior national team at theTournament of the Americas and competed in theCanada Games (for the British Columbia team) andSummer Universiade. He won a bronze medal at the Canada Games and won a silver medal at the Summer Universiade, losing toTeam USA in a closely contested final,[99] which included players such asMichael Finley andDamon Stoudamire.[5]
At the1999 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 namedtournament MVP.[5] At the2000 Sydney Olympics, Nash led Canada to win their round robin group with a victory overSpain and a stunning 83–75 win over favouredYugoslavia when he scored 26 points with eight rebounds and eight assists. Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a five-point loss toFrance 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."[100] Nevertheless, he did see a possible silver lining, saying "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play ... that's what I really hope."[100] A victory in its final game of the tournament, a placement game againstRussia, enabled Canada to salvage seventh place. Nash's Olympic performance propelled him to stardom in Canada, and he finished fifth in voting for the 2000Lionel Conacher Award, which is handed out to the Canadian male athlete of the year.[101]
Nash again led Team Canada during qualifying for the2004 Summer Olympics at theFIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament inSan Juan, Puerto Rico. He led the tournament in assists and was namedtournament MVP,[102][103] 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 coachJay Triano in 2004.[104] In December 2007, he said, "In my mind right now, I'm not going to play for Canada any more."[105]
On 8 May 2012, Nash became general manager of the Canadian senior national team.[106] Three months later, he rehired Triano as head coach.[107]
On 5 March 2019, Nash transitioned to a senior advisor role and was succeeded as general manager byRowan Barrett, his former national team teammate.[108]
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[15][109] and won theNBA Skills Challenge in 2005 and 2010.[11] As of the end of 2012–13 season, he had a 90.4% careerfree throw shooting average (formerly the best in NBA history, as of 2013[update] second toStephen Curry)[110][111] and a 42.8% careerthree-point shooting average (eighth-best in league history),[112] and ranked as one of the top 10 players in league history in total assists, assists per game, and three-point field goals made.[113][114][115] He is ranked second (starting from 1986–87 season) in regular season point–assistdouble doubles.[116] 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, joiningLarry Bird,Reggie Miller, andMark Price in the50–40–90 club.[32][117] Nash would repeat this feat three more times in the 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10 campaigns.[15] Nash (four times), Larry Bird andKevin Durant (two times each) are the only players to have accomplished this feat more than once.[118]
A two-timeNBA MVP, Nash is one of three point guards (along withMagic Johnson andStephen Curry) to win the MVP award multiple times and one of four guards in NBA history to earn back-to-back MVPs (along with Johnson,Michael Jordan and Curry).[11] Only 12 other NBA players have won back-to-back MVP awards: Johnson, Jordan,Bill Russell,Wilt Chamberlain,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,Moses Malone,Larry Bird,Tim Duncan,LeBron James,Stephen Curry,Giannis Antetokounmpo, andNikola Jokić.[11] On 12 January 2016,ESPN.com rated Nash as the seventh-best point guard of all time,[119] 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.[120] In a similar survey in 2009, Nash was rated as the best passer and the player possessing the best basketballIQ.[121]
Commenting on Nash losing out to former teammateDirk Nowitzki for the 2007 NBA MVP,Boston Celtics centre andHall 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."[122]
Nash was particularly effective playing thepick and roll, especially with Nowitzki when he was with the Mavericks and later with the Suns'Amar'e Stoudemire andShawn Marion under head coachMike D'Antoni.[123] 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, andBrian Grant). Further, Nash was responsible for seven of his teammates attaining career-highs in season scoring.[32] 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 AnniversaryThe Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Nash as the 38th greatest player in NBA history.[124]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | Phoenix | 65 | 2 | 10.5 | .423 | .418 | .824 | 1.0 | 2.1 | .3 | .0 | 3.3 |
| 1997–98 | Phoenix | 76 | 9 | 21.9 | .459 | .415 | .860 | 2.1 | 3.4 | .8 | .1 | 9.1 |
| 1998–99 | Dallas | 40 | 40 | 31.7 | .363 | .374 | .826 | 2.9 | 5.5 | .9 | .1 | 7.9 |
| 1999–00 | Dallas | 56 | 27 | 27.4 | .477 | .403 | .882 | 2.2 | 4.9 | .7 | .1 | 8.6 |
| 2000–01 | Dallas | 70 | 70 | 34.1 | .487 | .406 | .895 | 3.2 | 7.3 | 1.0 | .1 | 15.6 |
| 2001–02 | Dallas | 82 | 82 | 34.6 | .483 | .455 | .887 | 3.1 | 7.7 | .6 | .0 | 17.9 |
| 2002–03 | Dallas | 82 | 82* | 33.1 | .465 | .413 | .909 | 2.9 | 7.3 | 1.0 | .1 | 17.7 |
| 2003–04 | Dallas | 78 | 78 | 33.5 | .470 | .405 | .916 | 3.0 | 8.8 | .9 | .1 | 14.5 |
| 2004–05 | Phoenix | 75 | 75 | 34.3 | .502 | .431 | .887 | 3.3 | 11.5* | 1.0 | .1 | 15.5 |
| 2005–06 | Phoenix | 79 | 79 | 35.4 | .512 | .439 | .921* | 4.2 | 10.5* | .8 | .2 | 18.8 |
| 2006–07 | Phoenix | 76 | 76 | 35.3 | .532 | .455 | .899 | 3.5 | 11.6* | .8 | .1 | 18.6 |
| 2007–08 | Phoenix | 81 | 81 | 34.3 | .504 | .470 | .906 | 3.5 | 11.1 | .7 | .1 | 16.9 |
| 2008–09 | Phoenix | 74 | 74 | 33.6 | .503 | .439 | .933 | 3.0 | 9.7 | .7 | .1 | 15.7 |
| 2009–10 | Phoenix | 81 | 81 | 32.8 | .507 | .426 | .938* | 3.3 | 11.0* | .5 | .1 | 16.5 |
| 2010–11 | Phoenix | 75 | 75 | 33.3 | .492 | .395 | .912 | 3.5 | 11.4* | .6 | .1 | 14.7 |
| 2011–12 | Phoenix | 62 | 62 | 31.6 | .532 | .390 | .894 | 3.0 | 10.7 | .6 | .1 | 12.5 |
| 2012–13 | L.A. Lakers | 50 | 50 | 32.5 | .497 | .438 | .922 | 2.8 | 6.7 | .6 | .1 | 12.7 |
| 2013–14 | L.A. Lakers | 15 | 10 | 20.9 | .383 | .333 | .917 | 1.9 | 5.7 | .5 | .1 | 6.8 |
| Career | 1,217 | 1,052 | 31.3 | .490 | .428 | .904 | 3.0 | 8.5 | .7 | .1 | 14.3 | |
| All-Star | 7 | 2 | 15.9 | .429 | .250 | .000 | 2.0 | 6.7 | .4 | .1 | 3.7 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Phoenix | 4 | 0 | 3.8 | .222 | .250 | .000 | .3 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 1.3 |
| 1998 | Phoenix | 4 | 1 | 12.8 | .444 | .200 | .625 | 2.5 | 1.8 | .5 | .0 | 5.5 |
| 2001 | Dallas | 10 | 10 | 37.0 | .417 | .410 | .882 | 3.2 | 6.4 | .6 | .1 | 13.6 |
| 2002 | Dallas | 8 | 8 | 40.4 | .432 | .444 | .971 | 4.0 | 8.8 | .5 | .0 | 19.5 |
| 2003 | Dallas | 20 | 20 | 36.5 | .447 | .487 | .873 | 3.5 | 7.3 | .9 | .1 | 16.1 |
| 2004 | Dallas | 5 | 5 | 39.4 | .386 | .375 | .889 | 5.2 | 9.0 | .8 | .0 | 13.6 |
| 2005 | Phoenix | 15 | 15 | 40.7 | .520 | .389 | .919 | 4.8 | 11.3 | .9 | .2 | 23.9 |
| 2006 | Phoenix | 20 | 20 | 39.9 | .502 | .368 | .912 | 3.7 | 10.2 | .4 | .3 | 20.4 |
| 2007 | Phoenix | 11 | 11 | 37.5 | .463 | .487 | .891 | 3.2 | 13.3 | .4 | .1 | 18.9 |
| 2008 | Phoenix | 5 | 5 | 36.6 | .457 | .300 | .917 | 2.8 | 7.8 | .4 | .2 | 16.2 |
| 2010 | Phoenix | 16 | 16 | 33.7 | .518 | .380 | .893 | 3.3 | 10.1 | .3 | .1 | 17.8 |
| 2013 | L.A. Lakers | 2 | 2 | 30.5 | .435 | .000 | 1.000 | 2.5 | 4.5 | .0 | .0 | 12.5 |
| Career | 120 | 113 | 35.7 | .473 | .406 | .900 | 3.5 | 8.8 | .6 | .1 | 17.3 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Santa Clara | 31 | — | 24.0 | .424 | .408 | .825 | 2.5 | 2.2 | .8 | .1 | 8.1 |
| 1993–94 | Santa Clara | 26 | 23 | 29.9 | .414 | .399 | .831 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 1.3 | .0 | 14.6 |
| 1994–95 | Santa Clara | 27 | 27 | 33.4 | .444 | .454 | .879 | 3.8 | 6.4 | 1.8 | .1 | 20.9 |
| 1995–96 | Santa Clara | 29 | — | 33.8 | .430 | .344 | .894 | 3.6 | 6.0 | 1.3 | .0 | 17.0 |
| Career[125] | 113 | — | 30.1 | .430 | .401 | .867 | 3.1 | 4.5 | 1.3 | .1 | 14.9 | |
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 2020–21 | 72 | 48 | 24 | .667 | 2nd inAtlantic | 12 | 7 | 5 | .583 | Lost inconference semifinals |
| Brooklyn | 2021–22 | 82 | 44 | 38 | .537 | 4th in Atlantic | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost infirst round |
| Brooklyn | 2022–23 | 7 | 2 | 5 | .286 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 161 | 94 | 67 | .584 | 16 | 7 | 9 | .438 | |||
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.[133] He joined theUSL-1'sVancouver Whitecaps 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.[134][135] Nash occasionally attends practice for his co-owned team, calledVancouver Whitecaps FC.[136]
Nash, along with formerYahoo! president and fellowVictoria-nativeJeff Mallett, were investors inWomen's Professional Soccer, 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.[137]
On 5 January 2016, it was announced that Nash was part of a group who purchased a $21 million stake inLa Liga clubMallorca. The group also included Phoenix Suns ownerRobert Sarver, Suns vice chairmanAndy Kohlberg and former players of the United States national soccer teamStuart Holden andKyle Martino.[138][139][140]
On 21 June 2021, Nash along withWayne Gretzky,Dustin Johnson andBrooklyn Nets ownerJoe Tsai became owners in theNational Lacrosse League's new Las Vegas franchise, theLas Vegas Desert Dogs.[141]
In 2001, Nash met Alejandra Amarilla inNew York City. They married in June 2005 and had twin daughters and a son.[11][142] On the day of his son's birth, Nash made a statement toLife & 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.[143][144] In March 2016, Nash became engaged to Lilla Frederick, a formerPepperdine University and junior women's U.S. team volleyball player.[145] They married in September 2016.[146] The couple have a son and a daughter.[147][148]
In 2006, Nash was referenced in Canadian singerNelly Furtado's song "Promiscuous", leading him to deny rumours that they were romantically involved.[149][150][151] They both grew up in British Columbia.[149]
Nash's younger brother,Martin, played soccer for theVancouver Whitecaps and made 30appearances for theCanadian national soccer team.[4] Their younger sister, Joann, was the captain of theUniversity of VictoriaVikes women's soccer team for three years and was named aCanada West Universities Athletic AssociationAll-Star.[10][152] She is married to former professional ice hockey playerManny Malhotra.[9] Nash is thegodfather ofToronto Raptors starRJ Barrett.[153]
Nash has a medical condition calledspondylolisthesis, which causes muscle tightness andback pain. Due to the condition, when he was on the sidelines in basketball games, he would lie on his back rather than sit on the bench to keep his muscles from stiffening.[154]
In 2001, Nash founded the Steve NashFoundation. 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 inArizona andBritish Columbia, and was given charitable status in 2004.[4] The foundation was awarded the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy in 2008.[155] 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.[13]
Elsewhere, Nash sponsors the Steve Nash Youth Basketball League in British Columbia, which has grown over 10,000 participants.[11] He also became involved with GuluWalk, a Canadian-operated charitable organization that raises awareness and funds for the war-affected children of northernUganda. In September 2007, Nash andYao Ming headlined a group of NBA players who travelled to China and played an exhibition game with theChinese national basketball team. The charity event reportedly raised 2.5 million dollars, earmarked for Chinese children in need.[156]
In May 2006, Nash was named byTime as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In the accompanying write-up byCharles Barkley, Nash was lauded for his unselfishness on the basketball court, and being "just a nice guy" who had paid for a newpediatriccardiology ward in aParaguayan hospital.[157] On 28 December 2007, it was announced that Nash would receive Canada's highest civilian honour, theOrder of Canada,[158] and on 3 June 2008, it was announced that Nash would receive a star onCanada's Walk of Fame.[159] On 18 September 2009, he was awarded an honoraryDoctor of Laws degree from theUniversity of Victoria for his athletic achievements and philanthropic work on the behalf of young people through the Steve Nash Foundation.[160]
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.[161] He also has a longstanding relationship withNike.[162] Nash is represented byagentBill Duffy.[163]
Nash grew up playingsoccer—he stated in a 2005 interview that he could have played professionally if he had focused on it[164]—and continues to hold an interest in the sport. WhenDirk Nowitzki 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, includingAlessandro Del Piero,Thierry Henry,Owen Hargreaves,Massimo Ambrosini andSteve McManaman.[165] During his off-season, when he lives in New York City, he has trained with theNew York Red Bulls ofMajor League Soccer,[166] and once tried to arrange a pick-up game in the city'sCentral Park with the Red Bulls and one of his local teams.[167]
Nash, whose father was born in theTottenham district of London, is a lifelongTottenham Hotspur 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 withThe New York Times.[168] 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 chairmanDaniel Levy and former director of footballDamien Comolli.[169] Nash is also a fan of Spain'sBarcelona,[76] and Brazilian teamSport Club Corinthians Paulista, which his former Suns teammateLeandro Barbosa supports. When Barbosa visited Corinthians in 2007, the club gave him a shirt with Nash's name and jersey number.[170]
Nash also co-hostedShowdown in Chinatown in 2008, an 8-on-8 charity soccer game held atSara D. Roosevelt Park. He scored two goals in his team's 8–5 victory. Participants includedThierry Henry,Jason Kidd,Baron Davis and Suns teammatesRaja Bell and Leandro Barbosa.[171]
In July 2013, Nash participated in a training session with the Italian soccer clubInter Milan at theNew York Red Bulls' facilities in New Jersey.[172] He also trained with theNew York Cosmos B of the American fourth-divisionNational Premier Soccer League in 2015.[173]
In 2023, Nash took part inThe Soccer Tournament as a guest ofComo.[174]
Nash and aMontreal-based partner, Leonard Schlemm, opened the first Steve Nash Sports Club in the spring of 2007 in downtown Vancouver, a high-end, $5 million, 38,500-square-foot (3,580 m2) facility that will mirror Nash's own fitness philosophy.[175]
In 2007, Nash wrote and produced an 81-second commercial forNike titled "Training Day", directed byJulian Schnabel's daughter Lola, which gained popularity as aviral video on YouTube.[176] Nash also started a film production company together with his cousin, filmmaker Ezra Holland, and intends to produceindependent films.[176] 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 onEarth Day 2008, was written by Nash and the directors of the spot, Danny Vaia and Ezra Holland. It is a spoof remake of thetitle sequence of the American television seriesThe Six Million Dollar Man and plays on Nash's numerous on-court collisions.Amar'e Stoudemire andRaja Bell havecameo appearances.[177][178][179] Nash and Holland also co-directed the documentaryInto the Wind, about iconic Canadian athlete and activistTerry Fox, as part of ESPN's30 for 30 series. In October 2013, Nash appeared in the music video for "City of Angels" byThirty Seconds to Mars.[180] In 2013, Nash was one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards presented byCanadian Immigrant magazine.[181][182]
At the2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Nash became the first NBA player in Olympic history to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron.[183]
Nash is also known for his outspoken political views. He was an early and public opponent of the 2003Iraq War, wearing a custom-made T-shirt to the2003 NBA All-Star Game that stated: "No war – Shoot for peace."[184] Although Nash did get positive support from teammateNick Van Exel among others, he also drew criticism fromDavid Robinson, a former Naval officer and fellow NBA player as well as commentators likeSkip Bayless who criticized Nash as being uninformed and advised him to "just shut up and play."[185] Nash has also been critical of Arizona'sSB1070 legislation, which seeks to aggressively address illegal immigration, as he felt "the law obviously can target opportunities for racial profiling."[186] In August 2017, Nash was critical of PresidentDonald Trump in the aftermath of the2017 Unite the Right rally, saying that "to defendwhite supremacists and then slang his shitty ass grape juice pretty much sums the man up," referring to a winery Donald Trump has inCharlottesville, Virginia.[187]
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