Over the weekend, the announcement that everyone assumed was coming was finally made official. Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash officially announced his retirement from the NBA after 19 seasons in the league.
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Nash will be remembered for a number of things now that his playing career is done, but he most wants to be remembered simply as a competitor via the Los Angeles Lakers Twitter:
Nash: "I simply want people to remember me as a competitor and a great teammate. That’s it. Those are the two most important things."
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 24, 2015
No one will ever question Nash’s toughness on the floor as he always left everything on the court throughout his career. His time in Los Angeles obviously didn’t go the way he or fans expected, but that doesn’t diminish what he accomplished in the NBA.
His role as the maestro of the Phoenix Suns ‘Seven Seconds or Less’ offense led him to back-to-back regular season MVP Awards and most credit those teams with revolutionizing offense in the NBA. Nash is also third on the NBA’s all-time assist chart, trailing only Jason Kidd and John Stockton.
Nash has still made his presence felt with these Lakers despite not being able to step on the court. His work with rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson has really helped Clarkson begin transitioning into a more traditional point guard. He has also spoken about wanting to work with the Lakers’ other rookie, Julius Randle.
Even though his career didn’t end the way he wanted, Nash will still be remembered fondly by NBA fans the way he wanted to be.
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