From revolutionizing the two-man game to pioneering the pace-and-space era, the two-time MVP’s creative brilliance remains the architectural blueprint for today’s elite playmakers and high-octane offenses.
Legendary Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash is an icon of the franchise.
The Canadian guard played for Phoenix across two different stints, winning two NBA Most Valuable Player awards and bringing the Suns into a new era in the process.
Nash is still an influence to those that play guard in the present-day league as well, which is an extension of what he means to the city of Phoenix and the Suns' organization.
Nash's MVP seasons might be the ones that define his career, but his elite play and influence extend way beyond this.
The 6'3" product of Santa Clara put together a historic run from 2007-2009 that often gets overlooked, where he was the pound-for-pound best playmaker in the league, while also taking an even greater step forward as a three-point shooting threat.
Nash's blend of unrelenting creativity with the ball in his hands, a silky-smooth jump shot, and being unafraid to push pace played a role in the 52-year old becoming one of the most influential players of the modern NBA era.
What do these years say about Nash - particularly as an influence to the game?
First off, Nash's connection with All-NBA forward Amar'e Stoudemire set the stage for two-man game as it is known today. Denver Nuggets duo Jamal Murray/Nikola Jokic, as well as the New York Knicks' championship-winning duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, are variations of what Phoenix developed during the mid-late 2000's.
The next set of influence comes in how Nash became a pioneer for re-emphasizing efficient scoring. The early stages of the 2000's decades were driven by physical defense and relatively inefficient volume scoring.
While Nash was unselfish to a fault at times (under 11 field goal attempts per game for his career), he did strike a cord with the league at-large. Teams adapted to become more comfortable spacing-and-pacing in the post-Nash era, as well as to abandon the mid-range shot for the most part.
A strong argument can be made that the Golden State Warriors' dynasty doesn't even exist without Nash pioneering the shift in how NBA basketball was played in 2004.
Now, Suns guard Devin Booker is seeking to follow in Nash's footsteps. While the Suns are still a fair distance away from seriously competing for a title, Booker is continuing to carry the franchise's mantle in a way that pays absolute respect to Nash in all of the best ways.
