Steve Nash Shares Funny Story About Steph Curry Prompting His Retirement
Steve Nash revealed a memorable story about how Steph Curry made him realize it was time to retire. After 16 seasons, Nash spent his final two years playing for the Lakers. By then, the physical demands of his NBA career had clearly taken a toll.
Preseason Game Against the Warriors
Nash described a preseason matchup between the Lakers and the Warriors in 2013, aiming to test if he could still contribute effectively. He recalled:
“We went to play these guys preseason in like Ontario, California, or somewhere. I think they put up like 50 in the first quarter. Maybe it was 45, but it felt like a 50-piece, right? I couldn’t have probably stopped him even if I were 100 percent.”
He humorously added how Steve Kerr kept involving him in every play, while Alvin Gentry watched amused:
“And now I’m like dragging around Steve Kerr putting me in every action. I’m looking over at Steve like c’mon Stevie. Alvin Gentry over there laughing at me like, ‘No, let’s see what you got.’”
Realizing It Was Time to Retire
After reflecting for a few more days, Nash acknowledged it was time to step away from the game. He said:
“Literally like three, four more days of thinking on it, I was like ‘Yeah, I think it’s time [to retire]. I called Mitch Kupchak.”
He further commented on retirement:
“You deserve a little bit of putting me out to pasture, a little bit of my retirement. It’s not something I like to talk about in public a lot.”
Feeling Like a Big Brother
Nash reflected on his early days when Curry entered the league:
“When he came into the league, I still felt like the big brother a little bit, I still feel like I’ve got the upper hand here.”
This story highlights Nash’s humility and humor as he accepted the natural course of his basketball journey.
Author’s summary: Steve Nash humorously recalls how watching Steph Curry’s incredible skills in a preseason game convinced him it was time to retire after 16 taxing seasons in the NBA.