Nash still classy, even in shadow
Cleve Dheensaw, Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
PHOENIX, Ariz.
The spring temperatures in Phoenix are already beyond what anybody could hope for on the Island even in August.
But Victoria's Steve Nash, who quietly turned 34 last month, is now the lion in winter with the NBA's Suns.
Long a fan favourite in Phoenix, Victoria's Steve Nash now shares the limelight with the team's other two stars, Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire. But true to Nash's generous nature, he doesn't begrudge the fan affection for his teammates.
Long a fan favourite in Phoenix, Victoria's Steve Nash now shares the limelight with the team's other two stars, Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire. But true to Nash's generous nature, he doesn't begrudge the fan affection for his teammates.
The chants of "MVP... MVP..." that cascaded down the stands of the US Airways Center were once meant for him. But in a keynote shift, the booming calls of "MVP" now greet Amare Stoudemire whenever he steps to the foul line to shoot.
Nash is still a star -- but he won his second, and what will be his final NBA most-valuable player award, in 2006. And he knows it.
"It's great [the MVP chants for Stoudemire at US Airways Center]," said the Gordon Head-raised Nash, without a hint of envy or jealousy, and in the demeanour which has become his hallmark.
"I was excited to hear those MVP cheers for Amare. They are well deserved. It's a tribute to his team play, maturity and unselfishness. The fans are supporting Amare's progress."
Nobody can deny Stoudemire is turning into a monster forward for the Suns. For the first time, you notice his No. 1 Suns jersey and Shaquille O'Neal's No. 32 beginning to rival, perhaps even outnumber, Nash's No. 13 worn among the fans in the stands of US Airways Center.
The dramatic late-season addition of Shaq has allowed Stoudemire to switch from post to his more natural position of power forward, a combination of events which has led to a 7-1 run for the Suns over the last eight games after a hesitant start to the Shaq era in the desert.
"Playing the No. 4 spot has allowed me to guard guys who play my position," explained Stoudemire.
He adds: "I try to be a total team player so my teammates can feed off my energy."
That sound like an emerging leadership role writ large.
But the undisputed team leader of the Suns -- even in the presence of Stoudemire and Shaq -- remains the pale little water bug out of Arbutus Junior High and St. Michaels University School.
Age has eroded the former Captain Canada Olympian a bit -- most notably in his stated inability to lead Team Canada one last time in the upcoming last-chance qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games -- but Nash still has game and plenty of it, as attested by his 17.5 points-per-game average, league-leading 11.3 assists per game and league second-best .478 three-point average heading into last night's overtime loss in Detroit.
Yet, as a sign of the times, Nash's once-unassailable league assists crown may be in jeopardy as heir-apparent Chris Paul of New Orleans is hot on his tail with an 11.2 average. But as the lion enters winter, he does so on his own terms on and off the court.
Nash's charity work remains central to his life, and in the bowels of US Airways Center on Saturday, he signed balls and No. 13 Suns jerseys for an upcoming Island Cops for Cancer fundraiser.
He also talked intently with his old Arbutus Junior High coach, Dave Thomson, about Nash's long-awaited and long-rumoured Victoria project.
Last week during a Suns game in Seattle, attended by thousands of B.C. fans who turned it into essentially a Phoenix home game, one fan held up a sign for Nash reading: "MVP: Made Victoria Proud."
Yet the Nash charity classics, by necessity, have had to be held in large arenas in Toronto and Vancouver.
Except for playgrounds installed around town by his foundation and donations to several Island charities, Nash has yet to make his big hometown statement.
Look for that to come. Nobody is yet saying what the project will entail, only that there will likely be a significant charity aspect attached to it.
"Steve has become a global citizen but remains especially proud of where he came from," said Oak Bay High School principal Thomson, after further discussing the potential project with Nash over the weekend at US Airways Center.
"This will be something all of Victoria can take ownership of and connect the dots with around the city."
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimes....html?id=7b7d1eee-dedb-4bbb-a16b-92910217f618
Cleve Dheensaw, Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
PHOENIX, Ariz.
The spring temperatures in Phoenix are already beyond what anybody could hope for on the Island even in August.
But Victoria's Steve Nash, who quietly turned 34 last month, is now the lion in winter with the NBA's Suns.
Long a fan favourite in Phoenix, Victoria's Steve Nash now shares the limelight with the team's other two stars, Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire. But true to Nash's generous nature, he doesn't begrudge the fan affection for his teammates.
Long a fan favourite in Phoenix, Victoria's Steve Nash now shares the limelight with the team's other two stars, Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire. But true to Nash's generous nature, he doesn't begrudge the fan affection for his teammates.
The chants of "MVP... MVP..." that cascaded down the stands of the US Airways Center were once meant for him. But in a keynote shift, the booming calls of "MVP" now greet Amare Stoudemire whenever he steps to the foul line to shoot.
Nash is still a star -- but he won his second, and what will be his final NBA most-valuable player award, in 2006. And he knows it.
"It's great [the MVP chants for Stoudemire at US Airways Center]," said the Gordon Head-raised Nash, without a hint of envy or jealousy, and in the demeanour which has become his hallmark.
"I was excited to hear those MVP cheers for Amare. They are well deserved. It's a tribute to his team play, maturity and unselfishness. The fans are supporting Amare's progress."
Nobody can deny Stoudemire is turning into a monster forward for the Suns. For the first time, you notice his No. 1 Suns jersey and Shaquille O'Neal's No. 32 beginning to rival, perhaps even outnumber, Nash's No. 13 worn among the fans in the stands of US Airways Center.
The dramatic late-season addition of Shaq has allowed Stoudemire to switch from post to his more natural position of power forward, a combination of events which has led to a 7-1 run for the Suns over the last eight games after a hesitant start to the Shaq era in the desert.
"Playing the No. 4 spot has allowed me to guard guys who play my position," explained Stoudemire.
He adds: "I try to be a total team player so my teammates can feed off my energy."
That sound like an emerging leadership role writ large.
But the undisputed team leader of the Suns -- even in the presence of Stoudemire and Shaq -- remains the pale little water bug out of Arbutus Junior High and St. Michaels University School.
Age has eroded the former Captain Canada Olympian a bit -- most notably in his stated inability to lead Team Canada one last time in the upcoming last-chance qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games -- but Nash still has game and plenty of it, as attested by his 17.5 points-per-game average, league-leading 11.3 assists per game and league second-best .478 three-point average heading into last night's overtime loss in Detroit.
Yet, as a sign of the times, Nash's once-unassailable league assists crown may be in jeopardy as heir-apparent Chris Paul of New Orleans is hot on his tail with an 11.2 average. But as the lion enters winter, he does so on his own terms on and off the court.
Nash's charity work remains central to his life, and in the bowels of US Airways Center on Saturday, he signed balls and No. 13 Suns jerseys for an upcoming Island Cops for Cancer fundraiser.
He also talked intently with his old Arbutus Junior High coach, Dave Thomson, about Nash's long-awaited and long-rumoured Victoria project.
Last week during a Suns game in Seattle, attended by thousands of B.C. fans who turned it into essentially a Phoenix home game, one fan held up a sign for Nash reading: "MVP: Made Victoria Proud."
Yet the Nash charity classics, by necessity, have had to be held in large arenas in Toronto and Vancouver.
Except for playgrounds installed around town by his foundation and donations to several Island charities, Nash has yet to make his big hometown statement.
Look for that to come. Nobody is yet saying what the project will entail, only that there will likely be a significant charity aspect attached to it.
"Steve has become a global citizen but remains especially proud of where he came from," said Oak Bay High School principal Thomson, after further discussing the potential project with Nash over the weekend at US Airways Center.
"This will be something all of Victoria can take ownership of and connect the dots with around the city."
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimes....html?id=7b7d1eee-dedb-4bbb-a16b-92910217f618
