Steve Nash Named General Manager of Canada’s National Basketball Team

As NBA fans argue about the future the of Steve Nash, the long-time Phoenix guard has made his first big hoops decision of the summer by agreeing to a position as general manager of Canada Basketball’s senior men’s team.

The 38-year-old Nash, a two-time NBA MVP about to enter a summer where he will be one of the most coveted free agents in the league, was re-introduced at a news conference on Tuesday, returning to a program he last played for in the qualifying tournament leading into the 2004 Athens Olympics.

“Obviously I love the program,” Nash told ESPN.com. “It was a huge part of my development as a player. Going to the Olympics (in 2000) was the best experience of my career.

“So if I can help other Canadians experience that, it would be pretty amazing. I want to try to lend my hand to help develop our system and change the image and reputation of this country internationally and be a resource for as many of our good, young kids as possible.”

Fox Sports writes that Canada failed to qualify for the 2012 London Games and last made an Olympic appearance in 2000, when Nash helped the team to a seventh-place finish in Sydney.

“I’m thrilled to be able to take on this challenge. We have lots of work to do and I’m excited to get started” Nash added. “With the talent we are developing in this country, Canada has an opportunity to become one of the top basketball nations in the world. There is no reason why, if we nurture and support these great young players and give them the tools they need, that we can’t be a medal contender at the Olympics.”

Joining Nash on his quest to revitalize a struggling Canadian basketball program is his former Olympic teammate Rowan Barrett, who will run day-to-day operations as assistant GM.

Regarding his upcoming return to free agency in July (his first since 2004), Nash said:

“I’ve been so busy with this that I haven’t had much of a chance to start thinking about it. In the coming weeks, I’ll definitely start to think about what I’m going to do.”

While he has yet to make a decision regarding the 2013 NBA season, Nash previously told ESPN that he hopes to extend his career in the NBA for at least three seasons and added that he has not ruled out re-signing with the Phoenix Suns, but intends to test the open market.

ESPN’s Chris Broussard discusses the possibility of Steve Nash playing for the New York Knicks in the clip below:

via ESPN