I just can't believe this. Steve Nash has apparently decided to hang them up early, and return to his soccer-playing roots:
Twelve years, two MVP awards, and two Western Conference Finals appearances after he joined the NBA, Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash has decided to retire from the NBA after this season in order to play for the Spurs--the Tottenham Hotspurs, that is. Nash, a life-long fan of the Spurs revealed last October that he would like to own the team someday. Now, it seems he wants to take the opportunity to play for them as well. "I just feel like the time has come to return to my roots", Nash said. "I will miss the NBA, the fans, and my teammates, but it seems like every year some fluke thing comes up to derail our chances at a championship." Nash said he was "honored" that the Spurs want him on their team, even though he has never played soccer professionally. "This is a great opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream", he said, and while he doesn't expect to be winning MVP awards on the soccer field, Nash knows better than anyone that anything is possible.
Nash's departure will leave a gaping hole in a Suns team that has depended on him to run Coach Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense to perfection since 2004. It is unknown whether D'Antoni will make good on his oft-cited joke to retire when Nash does.
Wow, I really don't know what to say. When Nash said "the only window that exists is this year" in that interview last summer, I sure didn't think he meant it that literally. I guess we know what the Suns will be looking for in the draft now.
[Update by TexSUN 4:08 PM PT]: Well, I had a lot of fun with this post, but before it causes someone to enter therapy, I'll fess up. In case you didn't check the date, this is an April Fool's prank. To the best of my knowledge, Nash will be with us for a couple of more years before disappearing into the world of filmmaking.