It doesn’t seem so long ago that Steve Nash was just about all Canadian basketball fans had to hang their hat on. But now, as Nash’s playing days appear to be over, a new breed of Canadian talent has sprung up to carry the torch.
This season was supposed to be Nash’s swansong, capping off a brilliant 19-year with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, a nagging nerve issue in his back flared up again in preseason and he’s been on the shelf since. Now, nobody knows whether he’ll ever suit up for an NBA game again or not, but conventional wisdom suggests his playing career is over.
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“I’m just trying to get a little space and see where my head’s at,” Nash told reporters Monday. “It’s been a pretty tough fight over the last 18 months, and I’m just trying to get some space, and see how my mind and body responds.”
“It’s tough. I still wanted to play, but my body wouldn’t let me.”
The good news is that Canadian basketball will continue to benefit from his experience and knowledge now that he’s the general manager of the men’s national team.
“This age is beyond a golden age,” Nash said of the state of Canadian basketball. “Let’s hope though that it’s not just a moment in time, and that we’ve turned a corner as far as how the game as grown.
“It’s phenomenal, it’s such an amazing place we’re in as a country, in the sport, so much young talent and more to come.”
That was never more evident than when Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins were selected as No. 1 overall selections in consecutive NBA drafts. Now, 12 Canadians are playing in the NBA, meaning if Nash can get these pros to buy into the importance of the national team, Canada looks as though it will have its deepest team in history ahead of this summer’s Pan Am Games in Toronto.
Of course, Wiggins will be the biggest fish Nash will be out to land. The young superstar grew up not far from Toronto in Vaughn and is already the NBA Rookie of the Year favorite after winning the NBA’s Rising Stars MVP at All-Star weekend. If Nash can get Wiggins on board, it could be a very exciting summer for Canadian hoops.
“Andrew’s been phenomenal,” Nash said. “He’s very young, he has a bright future, and his rookie season has been incredible. I don’t think people understand what a jump it is from college to the pros and sometimes how difficult it can be to be in a position he’s in where he’s asked to do a lot and play a lot, and kind of grow on the fly like that.”
