Weekend Warrior Nash embraces life
Role in Golden State’s perfection of the way his Suns used to play ideal fit for two-time MVP
SAN FRANCISCO— There may not be a more perfect combination than Canadian Steve Nash and the Golden State Warriors. The significance of it goes beyond the style of play on the court.
Nash, now in his second season as a consultant to the defending NBA champions, fits seamlessly with the way the Warriors play basketball and with what they stand for as an organization.
The two-time most valuable player has long been socially active and responsible, speaking out on a variety of issues throughout his career and landing with a progressive franchise like the Warriors seems a true no-brainer.
“This is perfect,” Nash said here Wednesday of his part-time gig. “I get to be involved and have an impact on the game in a meaningful way in an organization that’s fantastic. It is everything it’s written up to be. Steve (Kerr, the team’s coach and social conscience) has been phenomenal, but the front office . . . has been just as exemplary and forwardthinking in the community from a business standpoint, from a fan perspective.
“Steve’s been incredible at the really hard part, which his putting out a great team. This is a team that’s gone from strength to strength, but when he got here they weren’t necessarily thought to be a championship team. He’s created a culture that’s been phenomenal.” Nash spends a few days a month — a minimum of three, a week every now and then — flying up from his Los Angeles home to offer whatever help he can. He’s got a long-standing relationship with Golden State’s Kevin Durant and said Kerr talked to him about some kind of role even before Nash retired.
“I don’t want a full-time gig. I don’t want to travel. I want to be home with the kids. That’s really valuable and important to me,” Nash said before Golden State beat the Raptors 117-112.
“I’m just here if they need me. If I see something, if they want my opinion. I have a good relationship with all the guys, but Kevin and I dated back to before I retired. We worked out a lot together before I retired, so we have an on-thecourt relationship that’s more profound than the others.”
The fact the Warriors, winners of two of the last three NBA titles, are basically perfecting a free-flowing style of play Nash and the Phoenix Suns first brought to the fore during Nash’s heyday there makes the job even easier. And, even if he won’t say it, Nash has to be proud of what the game has become.
“I think the game today kind of suits me and the way I played, and maybe I can add more than if it was back to the ’90s,” he said. “I don’t want to take any credit or anything (but) it’s great to see. The game is in a great place. Freedom of movement, athleticism, skill are on display. It’s not as bogged down, not as much clutching and grabbing that slows the game down. You’re seeing great players make great plays consistently.”