Steve Nash Retirement: Has Playing For The Lakers Tarnished His Legacy?

When many fans think of Steve Nash, they think of the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns team that was a Robert Horry elbow away from reaching the NBA Finals. But thanks to two uneventful and injury plagued seasons with the Lakers, many wonder if Nash’s legacy has taken a hit, following news that the point guard may be retiring.

As reported by Inqusitr, Lakers point guard Steve Nash could not overcome an ongoing back injury and will be forced to miss the 2014-2015 season. This has also spurred many to believe that Steve will hang up his jersey and call it quits on an amazing career.

Though Nash himself has not officially retired yet, a statement released by the Lakers expressed Steve’s anguish at not being physically able to play this coming season:

“Being on the court this season has been my top priority and it is disappointing to not be able to do that right now. I work very hard to stay healthy and unfortunately my recent setback makes performing at full capacity difficult. I will continue to support my team during this period of rest, and will focus on my long-term health.”

As reported by Bleacher Report, Steve was still in prime shape at age 38 when he was “selected [as] an All-Star by the league’s coaches as recently as 2012 —the only other All-Stars or older are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan.” This kind of production prompted the Lakers to swing a trade that landed Nash on their roster. But since then, Steve has been a walking injury. “Last season, Nash hurt himself getting out of bed. A week ago, he hurt himself carrying his bags,” the article shared.

And to many young NBA fans, that is the kind of memory they’ll have of the perennial All-Star. He’s also become just another example of the mismanagement of the once great Lakers, whose franchise’s reputation has taken a dive following a run of championships in the mid-2000’s. That kind of downfall could lead to a tarnishing of Nash’s accomplished career.

But according to USA Today, NBA fans should forgive the past three years and instead focus on all the terrific basketball Nash has brought to the table during his career.

“Steve Nash was the Everyman who made the most of what he had, the two-time MVP whose whirling-dervish ways during those desert days with the Phoenix Suns were some of the most memorable of his generation.”

Where do you think Steve Nash ranks among the game’s greatest point guards?

[ Steve Nash image courtesy Fox Sports ]