Steve Nash: The Nightmare That Won’t Stop

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers looked like a powerhouse team destined for a trip back to the NBA Finals as recent as 2012.

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The Lakers lost 4-1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 Conference Semi-finals in what appeared to be a changing of the guard in the NBA.

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka were simply younger, faster and more hungry for success than a team that won it all two seasons prior.

In typical Lakers fashion, the front office made a point to turn the team around quickly. General Manager Mitch Kupchak executed a blockbuster four-team trade that brought in Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic and sent All-Star Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers on Aug. 9, 2012.

The trade had been rumored for months, but it didn’t make it any less shocking when the day finally arrived. It certainly appeared as though the Lakers traded for their next franchise center. Howard was destined to follow in the giant foot steps of Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain.

Unfortunately, that fairy tale scenario never took place, but it wasn’t even the most damaging move the Lakers made that summer. The front office acquired two-time MVP Steve Nash a month prior. At 38, Nash was in the twilight of his career but came off a productive season in which he averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists for the Phoenix Suns.

Nash was supposed to be one of the key guys in the team’s championship run, but physically broke down. Nash suffered a small fracture in his left leg against the Portland Trail Blazers on Halloween. The injury occurred in a collision with Damian Lillard in just the second game of the 2012-13 season. Nash would miss 32 games that season.

Season	Age	Tm	G	MP	FGA	FG%	3PA	3P%	2P%	eFG%	FTA	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	TOV	PTS
2011-12 ★	37	PHO	62	31.6	9.0	.532	2.3	.390	.580	.581	2.3	.894	3.0	10.7	0.6	3.7	12.5
2012-13	38	LAL	50	32.5	9.5	.497	2.6	.438	.519	.557	2.3	.922	2.8	6.7	0.6	2.5	12.7
2013-14	39	LAL	15	20.9	6.3	.383	1.6	.333	.400	.426	1.6	.917	1.9	5.7	0.5	2.1	6.8
2 seasons		LAL	65	29.8	8.8	.478	2.4	.422	.499	.535	2.2	.921	2.6	6.4	0.6	2.4	11.4

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/17/2015.

The following season, Nash injured a nerve in his back and played 15 games that year. Had Nash played in 10 or fewer games, he would have been eligible to file for medical retirement, and the Lakers would have gotten out from under the rest of his $9.7 million.

The Lakers could have used the cap exception in a trade to replace Nash that season or increase their cap space to nearly $60 million in the 2014 off-season. In theory, the organization could have signed two max-level free agents with plenty left over for Bryant to re-sign.

Ultimately, Nash chose not to retire and the team was, once again, left to fill the burden without the means to replace him. As if his tenure with the Lakers would end anyway else, Nash missed the entire 2014-2015 season with the same nerve damage he’d endured the previous year.

Although the team received a medical exemption in his final season, Nash’s contract was still on the books, and the Lakers missed yet another opportunity to add pieces in the off-season. Nash refused to retire that summer and decided to give it another go. It was only after free agency, Nash conveniently realized he would be unable to play in the final year of his contract.

Feb 4, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash (10) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Nash abused his reputation and refused to help out the Lakers front office despite the millions of dollars the organization wasted on a guy who couldn’t physically play anymore. He wasn’t asked to regularly appear on the bench and given a tremendous amount of rope. Nash repaid management by hanging them with that rope.

As if that wasn’t enough, Nash is reportedly looking to put the icing on the cake by becoming a part-time player development consultant for the Golden State Warriors. Nash has given Lakers fans every reason to be furious with him, but it doesn’t seem to bother him.

Nash left the Lakers on the hook for three straight years, and now he wants to “take his talents” to the defending NBA Champions. He’s jumping on the bandwagon of a team that plays in the same division and is the greatest threat to the team Nash cheated. To make matters worse, the Lakers have two young guards in Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell that could have used Nash’s guidance.

It’s unclear whether the Lakers offered a similar coaching position, but Nash didn’t even blink before jumping ship to a direct rival.

Nash leaves behind a legacy the likes of Kwame Brown, but at least the Lakers were able to turn that into Pau Gasol. The team paid $27 million to a guy that played 65 of 246 games and gave up draft picks to get him. Instead of repaying the Lakers good faith, Nash moved on as quickly as his contract expired and left nothing for Lakers fans to hold onto.

Given the wild expectations the Lakers had with him on the roster, Nash is one of the worst Lakers off all time. The best thing to come out of Nash’s tenure is it’s finally over.

Next: Free Agency 2016: Never Too Early to Look Ahead

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