In an era where the NBA was obsessed with the number of points a player scored Magic made passing into an art form. Kids on playgrounds everywhere tried to mimic the no-look pass and get out and run like the Showtime Lakers. Magic's influence went beyond his team's wins and losses, he changed the sport itself.
Since those glorious days in the 1980's only one player has been able to make passing cool again: Steve Nash.
Nash's resume reads like one that is the stuff of basketball dreams: 8-time All-Star, 7-time All-NBA, and the cherry on top: 2-time MVP. He was the engine of the "Seven Seconds or Less" Suns teams that revolutionized NBA offenses and made terms like "stretch 4" part of the NBA lexicon. Perhaps more importantly Nash proved that a pass-first point guard can not only succeed in today's NBA, he can thrive. In an era when highlight packages are focused on dunks and aerial acrobatics Steve Nash showcased a below-the-rim game based on footwork, spacing, and great fundamentals. He used his passing to add sizzle, and while he didn't make the passes that no one saw coming like Magic could he did make the passes that no one could stop.
Nash played the game in such a cerebral way that he made his athletic shortcomings all but disappear. Players loved to play with him because they knew that on a Nash-led team they were going to get the ball in the best spot possible and would put up great stats as a result. Watching his Suns teams play was eerily reminiscent of a modern day Showtime, albeit with more emphasis on three-point shooting and without the swarming defense that Pat Riley's teams displayed.
So when the Lakers traded for Steve Nash two summers ago it seemed like a match made in heaven. A foursome of Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard (who was acquired shortly after Nash) were poised to rule the NBA, and when Nash's former coach Mike D'Antoni was added it appeared that the Showtime-era Lakers style would indeed be resurrected.
We all know what happened instead.
Nash spent the year bouncing on and off the injured list while he struggled to develop any chemistry with Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard. It became so bad that Nash was relegated to the role of spot-up shooter, as Bryant and the team as a whole were having more success with the ball in Kobe's hands instead of Nash's.
While there were many problems facing the Lakers during the 2012-2013 season for Nash perhaps the most difficult adjustment was to the lack of screens being set for him. Nash always thrived in the pick and roll situation, using screens to create the separation from his defender that he needed in order to operate. Despite the fact that many assumed Nash and Howard would be a perfect pairing Howard, who was recovering from back surgery, flat out refused to set screens. He would often slip the screen in order to avoid contact with Nash's defender, which can be a useful tactic but as soon as defenses caught on it left Nash out to dry trying to beat his man one-on-one.
That summer Dwight showed his true colors and abandoned the Lakers to leave for Houston, no doubt concerned about the durability of Nash and Kobe Bryant, who was recovering from achilles surgery. With Dwight gone and Kobe injured it was time for Nash to return to his MVSteve form and run the show. The Lakers spent the summer adding athletic shooters and stretch players like Wesley Johnson, Nick Young, and Ryan Kelly in the hopes that they would fit into Mike D'Antoni's system and allow Nash to bring out the best in them.
Alas, Nash (and seemingly everyone else on the team) suffered through one injury after another and the Lakers ended up posting the worst record in franchise history. While the team's record may not have been all his fault a closer look at the numbers revealed something more alarming: In an admittedly small sample size of just 15 games Nash posted the worst numbers of his career by far.
The typically can't-miss shooter shot just 38% for the season, and while that could be contributed to his chronic back problems the eye-test showed that he was a shell of his former self. When the Lakers needed the Steve Nash of old all they got was old Steve Nash. To most observers it was clear that Nash had crossed over the line and was no longer an even respectable NBA player anymore.
The history books are littered with players who stayed a year or two longer than they should have. We struggle and grimace right along with them, wishing that we could turn back the hands of time and allow them to become the player they once were. Since we can't, the only thing we can do is hope that they allow themselves to go out gracefully. Tap out. Retire. When the time is right.
That just isn't Steve Nash though. It wouldn't be true to the warrior mentality and rigorous physical regimen that has allowed him to sustain such a long and successful career. He's determined to go out on his own terms, after proving once and for all that he still has it.
Here's the thing though: he's killing the Lakers by doing it.
Under just about any other scenario seeing a player do everything they can to continue playing the sport he loves would be a heartwarming story. However, in the NBA there is such a thing as a salary cap (sorta) and because of that Nash's salary is taking up valuable space that could be used on a younger, more productive player, which is something that the Lakers desperately need.
While this alone isn't reason for Laker fans to turn on Nash we can't forget that during an interview last season he admitted that part of the reason that he isn't retiring is because of the $9.7 million owed to him. He stated “The reality is, I’m not going to retire because I want the money.”.
Obviously this doesn't sound great to fans, especially considering that Nash has earned over $125 million over the course of his career. That's not to say that his statement is completely damning, but is does come across as greedy considering that the vast majority of fans will never come anywhere close to earning that kind of money.
Nash has reportedly got himself in absolutely tremendous shape this offseason and is doing everything he can to have a successful year, which aren't the actions of a guy who is truly just about the money. Still, the statement that he made stings.
To make matters worse the Lakers traded away their 2015 first round pick to the Suns in the deal that landed them Nash. At the time no one thought that it would be a strong pick but with the Lakers looking like long shots to make the playoffs that pick has become a very valuable one. The pick is only top 5 protected, and given the Lakers luck in recent years and their current respectable-but-not-good roster they will end up in the 6-8 range.
By trying to hang on and refusing to retire Nash is all but ensuring that the Lakers will have a worse record than if his salary cap space was free to be used on a more productive player. It's an odd situation, but Nash's decision to continue playing helps the Suns much more than it helps the Lakers.
The real tough part for Lakers fans to swallow is that Nash didn't attempt to qualify for medical retirement. Most fans understand that walking away from over $9 million isn't easy, even if you are a multi-millionaire already. Furthermore, hanging up his sneakers after such a horrendous year would be difficult for Nash to live with, as he clearly feels he has something left in the tank. However, had he applied for medical retirement as a result of his chronic nerve-root issues then not only would the Lakers have received the cap space they so desperately need but Nash himself would still have received his full salary. Win-win.
Of course to do this Steve would have had to accept that last season's injury-plagued, 15 game showing would be the last thing that fans would remember about him. It's never easy to go out on the bottom, but for the Lakers it clearly would have been the best outcome and very likely would have allowed the team to be a playoff contender this season. Over the past few years though nothing has broken the way they needed it to so Nash's decision was just one more unlucky outcome in a long line of them.
*** The CP3 theft. Mike Brown. Mike D'Antoni. Nash's broken leg. Dwight's back and lack of heart. Kobe's achilles. Dwight's cowardice. Nash's nerve root issues. Pau's everything. Kobe's tibial plateau fracture. Dr. Buss' death. The entire Western Conference becoming stacked. The list goes on and on. Lakers fans would ask what else could go wrong but at this point that would seem to be tempting fate.
Even Laker-haters are starting to admit that the Lakers deserve a little good luck now. Never thought that would happen!
So how should Lakers fans treat Nash? Assuming the rumors about Nash's improved health are true then fans should support him through it all. Cheer him on, even if it's only because of the player he was and not the player he currently is. Even in his diminished state Nash can still help the team if he can stay healthy. If he ends up on the injured list for the majority of the season though and the losses start mounting though even Nash himself has to realize that a solid amount of blame will be placed on him, and rightfully so.
For Nash's sake and the Lakers sake let's hope that he can return to form.
