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Published 10:11 IST, February 10th 2020

Steve Nash left his impression on the NBA despite not winning a single NBA Championship

Steve Nash's NBA career has proven that NBA Championships are not necessary to leave a mark on the league. On Feb 7, Steve Nash celebrated his 46th birthday.

Reported by: Devika Pawar
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Steve Nash
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Steve Nash's NBA career has proven that NBA Championships are not necessary to leave a mark on the league. The former Phoenix Suns player was not only the first Canadian to win the NBA MVP award, but was arguably one of the best point guards in NBA history. On February 7, Steve Nash celebrated his 46th birthday.

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Steve Nash birthday: Steve Nash left his impression on the NBA despite not winning a single NBA title

Steve Nash is easily one of the cleverest NBA point guards and was statistically brilliant despite having a spinal injury that required him to be in a reclining position for most of the time. However, he did not win a single NBA Championship, despite winning two back-to-back MVP awards. Drafted by the Suns in 1996, Steve Nash was traded to the Dallas Mavericks after playing with the Suns and mostly being part of their bench. 

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With Steve Nash, the Mavericks also acquired their star player – Drik Nowitzki. Both of them together led the Mavericks to four straight NBA postseasons but were unable to secure a title due to untimely injuries. Nash then moved back to the Phoenix Suns, where he came close to the title for consecutive years, but once again could not even make the NBA finals. During this time, Nash won his first MVP award in 2005, as he led the team to the Western Conference finals against his former team – the Mavericks. However, even though the Suns were a great team comprising of Shawn Marion, Amar'e Stoudemire and coach Mike D'Antoni, Nash lost back-to-back playoffs due to injuries and also questionable decisions made by the NBA officials. According to ESPN, during the 2007 playoffs, Boris Diaw and Stoudemire were suspended for a game after the Suns-Spurs scuffle which put a damper on them winning the NBA title. Nash also broke his nose during the 2010 Western Conference finals, which added to the Suns losing their shot at the title.

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Towards the end of his career, Nash joined the Los Angeles Lakers along with Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard. The Lakers looked to win with one last championship with Kobe Bryant, but the team did not even make the playoffs. Nash broke his hand after two games, after which he continued to face injuries for the rest of his career due to his declining age. Steve Nash retired in 2014 with the Lakers, without winning a single NBA title. 

Steve Nash birthday: Few of the NBA legend's best performances

Steve Nash birthday: Nash's 39-point game against the Mavericks

Steve Nash birthday: Steve Nash stats

Steve Nash averaged at 14.3 points and 8.3 assists per game. The point guard was known for his clever floorwork and is third on the all-time assists list with 10335 assists. He was an NBA All-Star for eight seasons and won back-to-back MVP awards while with the Phoenix Suns. 

Also read | Lionel Messi reminds me of Stephen Curry: NBA star Steve Nash

Updated 10:11 IST, February 10th 2020