steve nash. my cousin who lives in phoenix puts the word "freakin'" in between his first name and surname. he is one of my favorite basketball players in the league. as a "frustrated point guard", i look up to the play of quick ball-handlers who are willing to share the ball first before make the shot when the situation dictates. besides, having been a phoenix suns fan since the days of kevin johnson and charles barkley makes nash fit the bill perfectly.
his journey as a basketball player has been an unconventional one. besides basketball, he played other sports like soccer and ice hockey, which were quite instrumental in developing the footwork he's known for in the sport. he went to santa clara for college after major universities in the united states did not recruit him to play basketball for their school, and led his college team to upset victories in the ncaa. he was known as a scorer, passer, and consistent free throw shooter in college before taking his game to the next level.
he got drafted 15th overall in the 1996 nba draft, together with other future nba stars like kobe bryant, allen iverson, and ray allen. he first played for the phoenix suns, where he played as back-up to kevin johnson and jason kidd. he surely learned from these two top-caliber point guards.
after two seasons with the suns, he was traded to the dallas mavericks, where he, dirk nowitzki, and michael finley became a formidable trio that made the mavs a playoff team yet often fell short against other western conference powerhouses. nonetheless, he became a perennial all-star and one of, if not the best passing point guard in the nba.
he returned to phoenix in 2004, ushering the era of run-and-gun basketball in the valley of the sun. with amare stoudamire, shawn marion, and joe johnson on the court and mike d'antoni giving the go-signal for a high-tempo offense, he led the suns to a the best record in the nba and even a decent playoff run in the next few years. despite departures and injuries to key players, the suns enjoyed success behind nash's unselfish play and ability to make his teammates better. he was often criticized for his lack of defense, but he still won the most valuable player award in 2005 and 2006. he continued to lead the suns to the playoffs despite changes in the roster through the years.
unfortunately, the suns cannot rely on nash alone, and he cannot win a championship with that roster from last season. it wasn't working. he needed a change. but never did i expect him to go to the team i like the least and share the ball with the player i hate the most.
i was in holy orders class when i got the news over twitter that steve nash will be going to the los angeles lakers as part of a sign-and-trade deal for future picks, cash, and a lifetime supply of vitamin water. it felt like he was defecting to the "dark side." no love lost for nash, but honestly that move makes me hate kobe all the more.
as @NotBillWalton said over twitter: "Lakers now have a PG that doesn't believe in defense, a head coach that doesn't believe in offense, & a SG that doesn't believe in passing."
but i won't burn my collection of his jerseys even if he transferred to the team i hate the most. steve nash is no lebron james to deserve that kind of treatment.
no one wants to end one's career like barkley, karl malone, john stockton, reggie miller, and all other greats who retired without a ring on their fingers.
steve nash continues to work hard and surely deserves to win a championship. and if this is the only way for my idol to win a championship, so be it.
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