#RunninBuddies; Farewell Steve Nash

Long before Mark Cuban broke up a championship team. Or made Roddy Beaubois untouchable. Or made Erick Dampier a reality…

He made his biggest mistake of all…letting Steve Nash go.

Six years earlier, Steve Nash was acquired from the Phoenix Suns for essentially the rights to Pat Garrity and a future first round pick (ended up being none other than Shawn Marion).

Also in the 1998 season, the Mavericks welcomed aboard unknown German prospect Dirk Nowitzki.

Before long, these two along with shooting guard Michael Finley formed one of the best trios in the NBA.

Dubbed “Dirty” Dirk, “Nashty” Nash and “Filthy” Finley, the Mavericks became perennial playoff contenders and one of the league’s most exciting teams in Don Nelson‘s up tempo offense.

Led by Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, the Mavericks embarked on a long-running playoff streak that would eventually total 12 seasons (2000-2012).

However, Mark Cuban was discouraged at the playoff results. The farthest Dallas would get in the Dirk-Nash era was a 2-4 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2003 Western Conference Finals. They lost Nowitzki to a knee injury and game three after the Sacramento Kings lost Chris Webber to similar circumstances in the previous round, and neither team could possibly overcome the loss.

In 2004 Steve Nash was a free agent. He was also 30 years old. Mark Cuban thought he was a ticking clock. Boy, was he wrong.

Steve Nash got an offer from Cuban and the Mavericks front office. About four years, $9 million a year and a potential 5th seasons.

The Suns offered him six years, $63 million. Still, Nash’s friendship with Nowitzki and love for Dallas and the Mavericks had him at Mark Cuban’s doorstep again to see if he would match.

With Cuban already paying as much luxury tax as any owner to players like Nowitzki, Finley and Antawn Jamison, he did not match.

Instead Cuban decided to trade Jamison to the Washington Wizards for the rights to 5th overall pick Devin Harris and veteran Jerry Stackhouse. That’s alright.

He used the Nash money to finally get a center. But he got Erick Dampier for seven years and $73 million. Burp.

The rest is glorious history for Steve Nash as he returned to the team that was boo’d when they drafted the Santa Clara Point Guard 15th overall in 1996.

The only old thing about Steve Nash were a few forehead wrinkles…and they were coming from Mavericks fans.

Nash won the MVP award in 2004-05 in the revolutionary “SSOL” (Seven Seconds or Less) offense with the Suns that featured Shawn Marion, Amar’e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson-turned-Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa and ultimately orchestrated by the SSOL innovator Mike D’Antoni.

Phoenix went from 29 wins in 03-04 to 110.4 PPG and 62 wins, a 33 point swing and the best in NBA history. Also, they defeated the Mavericks in the West Semi-Finals 4-2. There’s not an ounce of revenge in Steve Nash’s heart, but this had to feel good to beat a team that made such a minuscule effort to bring him back, deeming him a mostly finished product at age 30.

Steve Nash’s 2005 was just as good as his 2004. He again won the league’s Most Valuable Player award (much to the disdain of Kobe Bryant fans..boo hoo)

The Suns fell once again in the Western Conference Finals, in 2005 to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs and in 2006 to Nash’s former club in another absolutely epic Playoff matchup between Nash’s Suns and Dirk’s Mavs.

#RunninBuddies

It was far from a debate of any nutrition at this point, the Dallas Mavericks were wrong.

Steve Nash eventually had trouble with the injury bug, and eventually he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers where his career officially started to decay to an imagery he did not deserve.

The fall of the Lakers had to do a lot with thinking Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard could play together, but two first round picks and a three-year deal $28 million dollar contract for any player turning 38 is a tough sell, even a rare breed that still was producing at an above league average level as he tilted closer to 40.

In the end, Steve Nash’s legacy is not a debate. He’s one of the greatest and most unique players of all time. No ring is a travesty for Nashty, but it’s nothing that will affect him entering Naismith on the very first ballot.

Before I wrap up on the subject (there’s really no end of good things to say about the South African native) let’s take a look at the yearly averages for Nash from 2001 (first year starting 50+ games) to 2012 (final year in Phoenix).

16.3 points (high: 18.8), 9.9 assists (11.6), 3.3 rebounds (4.2) but the magic is in the following: 91% Free Throws (94%!), 43% 3-Pointers (47!!!!!), 50% All Field Goals (53% ((twice!!!)

Incredible.

In the All-Time Rankings department, Nash is 3rd in Assists with 10,335 (1. John Stockton 2. Jason Kidd) and tied for 1st in Free Throw Percentage at 90.4% with Mark Price.

As stated, he won two (back-to-back) MVP’s. He also made eight All-Star Teams, three All-NBA First Teams (two 2nd’s, two 3rd’s), led the league in assists five times, finished with four elusive 50(FG)-40(3)-90(FT) years and the on-court impact cannot be summed up in anything but this:

Nashty. It was Filthy. Dirty. Nashty.

Forever loved, Steve Nash is in Dallas, the National Basketball Association and one of biggest, bright and best global ambassadors the game or any sport has and will ever see.

Some final words from the Big Daddy, Tall Baller from the G himself…and the other half of #RunninBuddies

“He helped me make it in this league…I didn’t know anybody and my family was far away, and he was the one.

“He was big for me, on and off the floor, my first couple of years. And so was Fin. Those two guys supported me and wanted me to get better and pushed me. Once I did get better, they shared the limelight with me. Those two guys are my friends for life. I’ll never forget that.”

Basketball will miss you, Steve Nash. I know #MFFLs have for years.

What Could Have Been…

Next: Monta out of Dallas? Be careful what you wish for!

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