Steve Nash Shares Humorous Story About Steph Curry's Impact on His Retirement Decision
Steve Nash recounted a memorable moment that made him realize it was time to retire from professional basketball. The Suns legend finished his career with two seasons at the Lakers, where the physical demands of 16 seasons began catching up to him.
Preseason Game Against the Warriors
In 2013, during a preseason game between the Lakers and Warriors, Nash tested whether he could still perform at a high level. He described the game as overwhelming, especially due to Steph Curry's scoring prowess.
“We went to play these guys preseason in like Ontario, California, or somewhere. I think they put up like 50 in the first quarter. Maybe it was 45, but it felt like a 50-piece, right? I couldn’t have probably stopped him even if I were 100 percent. And now I’m like dragging around Steve Kerr putting me in every action. I’m looking over at Steve like c’mon Stevie. Alvin Gentry over there laughing at me like, ‘No, let’s see what you got.’”
Decision to Retire
After this eye-opening experience, Nash realized it was time to step away from playing. He reached out to Mitch Kupchak to discuss retirement, embracing the inevitable transition.
“Man, literally like three, four more days of thinking on it, I was like ‘Yeah, I think it’s time [to retire]. I called Mitch Kupchak.”
Nash also acknowledged it was difficult to discuss retirement publicly but accepted it as part of his journey.
“You deserve a little bit of putting me out to pasture, a little bit of my retirement. It’s not something I like to talk about in public a lot.”
The Relationship with Steph Curry
Despite the challenges, Nash mentioned that when Curry entered the league, he still felt like a mentor, maintaining a feeling of being the "big brother."
“When he came into the league, I still felt like the big brother a little bit, I still feel like I’ve got the upper hand here.”
Author's Summary
Steve Nash humorously reflects on how witnessing Steph Curry's talent in a preseason game led him to embrace retirement after a remarkable 16-season career.