Steve Nash Credits Steph Curry for Pushing Him into Retirement
On the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast, Steve Nash shared the story of when he realized his NBA career was coming to an end, with Steph Curry playing a key role in that moment.
The 2014-15 Preseason Game
The realization took place during the 2014-15 preseason, when Nash's Los Angeles Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors in Ontario, California. The Warriors dominated early, scoring 39 points in the first quarter and winning decisively, 116–75.
- Steph Curry scored 12 points within the first 2:30 and finished the game with 25 points in just 24 minutes.
- Already struggling with back issues, Nash felt he couldn't keep up with Curry's speed and agility.
“I’m guarding Steph. They put up like 50 in the first quarter — maybe it was 45, but it felt like a 50-piece. I couldn’t have stopped him if I was 100 percent,” said Nash.
Realization to Retire
A few days after the game, Nash came to terms with the end of his playing days. He joked with Curry,
“Man, literally like three more, four more days of thinking on it, I was like… yeah. I think it’s time. You put me out!”
In fact, Nash had already announced in July 2014 that the upcoming season would be his last. He played only three preseason games before his back injury worsened, including the one against the Warriors.
On October 23, 2014, less than a week before the regular season started, Nash was ruled out for the entire season and never returned to NBA action.
Summary
Steve Nash humorously credits Steph Curry's dazzling performance in a 2014 preseason game as the catalyst that convinced him to retire from the NBA.