NBA News: Steve Nash Announces His Retirement
It’s been expected for some time now, but it’s finally been made official — two-time MVP Steve Nash has announced his retirement from basketball.
Nash, 39, did not play a single game for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, and has struggled with injury issues ever since he made the decision to leave Phoenix, and join the Lakers in 2012 in an effort to chase a championship.
I'm retiring from basketball. Thanks for all the love through the years. http://t.co/CMqDBSYIrr pic.twitter.com/iNTG6eap4D
— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) March 21, 2015
As previously mentioned, Nash is a two-time league MVP, and is an eight-time NBA all-star, and while Nash has never won a championship, there’s no question that he’s one of, if not the best point guards of his generation.
Below, Nash talks about his short stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, the support that he’s received from the Lakers’ fans, and his dream of winning an NBA championship with the Lakers. In a letter to The Player’s Tribune, Nash wrote,
“When I signed with the Lakers, I had big dreams of lifting the fans up and lighting this city on fire. I turned down more lucrative offers to come to L.A. because I wanted to be in the ‘fire,’ and play for high risk and high reward in my last NBA chapter. In my second game here, I broke my leg and nothing was the same.
“Last spring, when I returned to the court, I was given a standing ovation at Staples Center. It was a dark time in my career and that gesture will be one of my best memories. There’s been a lot of negativity online, but in my nearly three years in L.A., I’ve never met anyone who didn’t show me anything but love and support for my efforts. There’s a lot of class in Lakerland, and the organization and staff have given me unwavering support.”
In the final years of his NBA career, Nash didn’t want to leave Los Angeles for family reasons, which is covered in Grantland’s The Finish Line series, which shows Nash’s attempt to return to the court, and his battle with realizing that his career is coming to an end.
Nash averaged 14.3 points, 8.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 18 seasons. Nash played for three different teams during his NBA career — Phoenix Suns [1996-1998, 2004-2012], Dallas Mavericks [1998-2004] and Los Angeles Lakers [2012-2014].
[Image via Lakers Nation]
