Nash Day Photo Retrospective

Really cool your getting these!! Thanks Max!
I picked the 1. Clutch even though they all were really good. Nice to see how high he gets on his jumpshot

For the most part, all images were shot with a set of Nikon D3’s or D3s’, using a variety of lenses. For most of these, I used either the 70-200 2.8 VR or 200-400 4 VR. For some team, huddle, and fun shots, I would use a wider 24-70 2.8, or even a 10.5mm fisheye lens.

By sheer coincidence, I started shooting the Suns the same year Nash started. I remember thinking to myself ’If he can get us over .500 and into the playoffs, that would be great", since the Suns had last come off a 29-53 season.

That prediction was par for the course, so when the Suns had a 62-20 season, the league was taken by storm. TV schedules were changed midseason to fit in more run n gun Suns games, and it was obvious that Nash was at the top of the list for an MVP award, which he did receive later that year. But to me, it wasn’t until the next year that he really amazed me. Sure he’d led the team back from being a lottery team, but the roster was stacked with talent. Joe Johnson, Q, Matrix, and Amare (no apostrophe back then) were all part of making that first season such a success.

The next season was a totally different matter. Amare was out due to injury (playing only 3 games in a failed comeback attempt), Joe Johnson and Quentin had both been traded. In return, the Suns picked up a few odds and ends. A veteran forward, Kurt Thomas. A no name shooting guard named Boris, and a scrappy journeyman named Raja. Aside from Matrix, Nash didn’t have anyone on the court that he could build upon the previous year with.

Despite all of the changes and injuries, the Suns managed 54 wins. The team came together in a manner more unexpected than the previous year. While the team certainly had a lot of role players with specialist skills (Raja’s defense and outside shot, Boris’ offensive versatility, and even Kurt Thomas’ veteran presence in the frontcourt), noone expected them to have career years.

The playoffs that year were probably the most amazing I’ve experienced. Down 3 games to 1 against the Lakers, they eventually came back and defeated the Lakers in 7 games. In the second round, a tough Clippers team with a then healthy Elton Brand and veteran Sam Cassell also forced a 7 game series. For his efforts, Steve received his 2nd MVP award.

If you don’t think what he does is amazing, watch a few games. Notice the way he breaks down the defense to create an opening for a teammate. Look at how he plays aggressively without being selfish. But beyond that, look at how his teammates play around him. Play with him long enough and you know that if you work hard running around the screens and rolling off your picks, you will get the ball in the best possible situation. There’s no need to be told, you simply know it will happen. Work hard and he will reward you.

That’s Steve Nash.

Good work, as usual.

This Nash day thing is kinda addictive… thanks Stan for killing my productivity today…