Canada - Steve Nash

DOB: 7 February 1974
Place of birth: Johannesburg, South Africa
Height: 191cm
Weight: 81kg
Position: Point guard
 
Canada has contributed two key figures to the game of basketball: the first, of course, was the game’s inventor, James Naismith, an Ontario native who spent the first 30-plus years of his life north of the American border; the second is Steve Nash, who has inspired generations of players in Canada and beyond with his unique playing style.
 
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nash moved to Canada before his second birthday and soon played soccer and ice hockey. He only got his start in basketball when he was a teenager but he got hooked and it became his dream to one day be an NBA star player.
 
He starred for his school in British Columbia, leading them to the provincial championship title while also finding the time to play soccer and rugby union.
 
Nash was not heavily recruited and ended up accepting a scholarship to attend Santa Clara University in California.
 
In his freshman year, he helped snap the Broncos’ five-year absence from the NCAA tournament. They missed out in his sophomore campaign before making it back in 1994-1995 when Nash was named WCC Player of the Year and led the league in scoring and assists. However, they would fall at the first hurdle, losing to Mississippi State University.
 
In Nash’s senior year, Santa Clara caused a memorable upset by beating Maryland in the first round, but their joy was short-lived as they then fell against Kansas.
 
Nash featured on the Canadian team while attending college. He competed in the World University Games and in 1993, led his nation to the final where they lost to the USA.
 
The playmaker was selected with the 15th pick in the 1996 draft by the Phoenix Suns. Although his enormous potential was obvious, he couldn’t showcase it as he was stuck in a crowded backcourt consisting of perennial All-Star and future Team USA player Jason Kidd and former All-Star and Suns legend Kevin Johnson.
 
Nash was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1998 and would help rebuild a franchise in tatters while also going through his own share of growing pains. He had a breakthrough season in 2000-2001 and, teaming up with German star Dirk Nowitzki, got the franchise back to the playoffs, ending a 13-year absence from the post-season.
 
Nash would sustain that high-level of play and fast establish himself as one of the best point guards in the league. The Mavericks would venture deep into the playoffs over the course of the next three seasons, but fell short of making it to the NBA finals.
 
On an international level, Nash captained Canada at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. After a win over Spain, the Canadians stunned Yugoslavia behind their star guard’s all-around performance of 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Unfortunately, they would go on to lose to eventual finalists France in the quarter-finals.
 
In 2003, Nash was named MVP of the FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico despite the fact that Canada finished just fourth and missed out on one of the three berths for Athens the following year. That was the last time he played for his country.
 
He became a free agent after the 2003-2004 season and, much to everyone’s surprise, decided to return to Phoenix, a team coming off a 29-53 season.
 
But under head coach Mike D’Antoni, the Canadian playmaker and the Suns would thrive in a high-octane offense. They reached the Western Conference finals in 2005 and 2006, with Nash named MVP both seasons.
The Suns faded in the next three years, but Nash has led a resurgence of sorts as they have regained their place among the top five teams in the West.