Canada's G.O.A.T. is moving on from the game he gave a maple leaf.
Pioneering two-time MVP Steve Nash announced his retirement from the NBA last weekend, after 19 (sorta) seasons played and 17,387 points scored. The 41-year-old Victoria native played for the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Lakers during his nearly two-decade career, after a star-making college run with Santa Clara ended at the 1996 NBA Draft.
Nash retires as easily Canada's greatest-ever basketball player, a player whose fame and success has paved the way for a growing contingent of young stars, including Tristan Thompson and last year's No. 1 overall pick, Andrew Wiggins.
Nash won his two league MVP awards in 2005 and 2006, his first in Phoenix where he'd annually take the Suns to the cusp of the NBA Finals, often thwarted by either the San Antonio Spurs or the L.A. Lakers. Before that, he spent six years in Dallas and formed a powerful one-two punch with Dirk Nowitzki – himself a G.O.A.T. from his native Germany.
Nash's last three years were disastrous however, for both him and the Lakers. The point guard was injury riddled for much of his time in California, although he earned more than $9 million a year, and has missed the entire 2014-15 season with a back injury.
He retires as the NBA's best-ever free throw shooter, with an all-time percentage of 90.4
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