Steve Nash Shares Humorous Story About Steph Curry Prompting His Retirement
Steve Nash recounted an amusing incident illustrating how Steph Curry made him realize it was time to end his NBA career. In his final two seasons with the Lakers, after 16 years in the league, Nash’s physical limits became clear.
Preseason Clash With Warriors
Nash described a 2013 preseason game between the Lakers and the Warriors, played in Ontario, California. He used this game to test if he could still perform at a high level.
“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.”
He humorously added how coach Steve Kerr constantly put him in tough defensive positions while Alvin Gentry watched on amused:
“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
This challenging experience led Nash to contemplate retirement seriously within days:
“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 acknowledged the moment as a deserved step towards retirement, though he prefers to keep such topics private:
“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.”
Reflecting on His Role
Nash reflected on his early career feelings toward younger players like Curry, mentioning a continued sense of seniority:
“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.”
This story highlights the moment a basketball legend accepted the need to step aside for the next generation.