Steve Nash has always been an unselfish leader, choosing to pass the focus and spotlight to someone or something else similar to the way he constantly feeds the ball and praise to teammates.?
The 37-year-old point guard is essentially the captain of the Titanic at this point in his career, opting to sink with the Suns, his team, instead of jumping ship for a life raft in attempt to win a piece of hardware that would legitimize his legacy in the eyes of many.?
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, "Nash is adamant: He will not go to his bosses and ask to be traded."
The bottom line is that Nash will never demand a trade, but instead will retire in the desert with the Phoenix Suns. The reasons are simple, but overwhelming in their support.
Nash became a superstar with the Suns and won back-to-back league MVP honors for Suns' teams that could have easily won the title in their glory days.?Unfortunately for Nash, the saying "nice guys finish last" has never been so true.
In an interview with Stein, Nash said:
It's not my style. Maybe I'm old school, but I feel like that's not my place to give up on my team, give up on my teammates. I signed a contract and made a commitment...I just feel that I owe it to my teammates to stay committed to them. I feel that I owe it to the fans and the organization to fight.
Maybe Nash's career would be different now if he walked out on the Suns, or gave up on them. Maybe he would have a Larry O'Brien Trophy in his bag, or the respect of NBA fans who doubt him because of his inevitable shortcomings.?
Nash has beaten the best, though. He's beaten Kobe Bryant's Lakers, Tim Duncan's Spurs and even Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks, just not when the Suns had to.
That comfortable knowledge no doubt helps Nash rest easier with his decision to remain a forgotten star with the Suns these days.
But still, the low expectations are a godsend for a soon-to-be 38-year-old dealing with a bad back and bruised ribs.?
Nash is averaging 17.7 points per game on 69 percent shooting and dishing out 10 assists per game since the start of January, and the Suns are 2-1 in that short time.
Nash is what put the Suns back on the NBA map in 2004, so it's only fitting that his jersey will rise to the rafters of the U.S. Airways Center when he retires with Phoenix.
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