Steve Nash: His Greatest Los Angeles Lakers Assist
By Scott Asai
As Steve Nash officially retired from the NBA, the disappointment from his Lakers tenure may be overshadowed by the fact he plans to reside in L.A. and is open to help with free agent pitches. The bright side to a disastrous stint with the purple and gold is his positive association with the Lakers organization because of the way they treated him as an often injured employee.
Although Nash has been stealth since he shut it down before the 2014-15 NBA season, he has made an impact through practice sessions with Jordan Clarkson. Nash has taken a special interest in Clarkson’s development and the mentorship is paying off based on Clarkson’s recent play. Outside the Lakers, Nash is still highly regarded amongst his peers whom could be eventual future Lakers.
During his comeback attempts he worked out with Kevin Durant and shares the same agent, Bill Duffy, as Rajon Rondo and Goran Dragic who are both free agents this summer. At the conclusion of 2016, Nene, Joakim Noah and Dirk Nowitzki are available. Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine will have team options.
Selling the Lakers on the merits of great weather, business opportunities and past success is the strategy the Lakers have taken, but hearing first-hand testimony from a former two-time MVP who played for L.A. is much more powerful.
On a personal note, after an ugly divorce from his former wife a couple years ago, one of the main reasons why Nash was interested in moving from Phoenix to L.A. was to start his life over with his kids. As an L.A. resident it’s hard not to gush about the city and all it has to offer, but Nash won’t forget how the Lakers treated him during his injury-plagued duty here. The Lakers organization showed him support when Lakers fans didn’t.
After the Lakers management feared Nash’s career was over, they did the best possible thing by treating him with respect in hopes for a future favor. Nash will always be remembered as a Phoenix Sun, but his greatest assist as a Laker might be still to come. Will Nash pay-it-forward by recruiting top free agents to sign with the Lakers for years to come? Let’s hope so.