Steve Nash Shares a Hilarious Story About Steph Curry Prompting His Retirement
Steve Nash recounted a memorable moment when Steph Curry made him realize it was time to retire. After 16 seasons in the NBA, Nash spent his final two years with the Lakers, feeling the physical toll of his long career.
Preseason Game Against the Warriors
During a 2013 preseason game in Ontario, California, Nash tested if he could still perform at a high level. He described the experience on the podcast Mind the Game:
“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.”
Nash added the challenge was compounded by Steve Kerr constantly adjusting plays against him, while Alvin Gentry encouraged him to keep trying:
“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’. I’m like, man, 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.”
Reflection on Retirement
Nash expressed mixed feelings about retiring, noting it’s not a topic he discusses publicly often:
“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.”
He also felt protective early in Curry’s career:
“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.”
Summary
Steve Nash humorously recalled how Steph Curry’s unstoppable play during a preseason game helped him accept the right moment to retire after a long and accomplished career.
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