Despite a disappointing two years as a Laker, Steve Nash passed Mark Jackson for third place on the NBA’s all-time assists list Tuesday night. Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni coached Nash for a good portion of his career in Phoenix.
According to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, D’Antoni praised Nash’s efforts this season and his first-half performance against the Houston Rockets:
More D'Antoni on Nash: "What is remarkable is that he can run a team even on one leg and keep us in the game."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 9, 2014
In addition, D’Antoni mentioned that it’s too bad that everything has to come to an end, but Nash has had a great career:
D'Antoni on Nash: "It's too bad that everything comes to an end and he has had a great career so it was great he got that tonight."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 9, 2014
On top of being one of the NBA’s best passers, Nash won two consecutive league MVP awards while playing under D’Antoni in Phoenix.
When Nash became a Laker, expectations were high. The Lakers made a coaching change five games into the 2012-13 season and reunited D’Antoni with Nash. Although Nash suffered an injury in his second game as a Laker, the thought of Nash running D’Antoni’s system excited many. The roster appeared to be a good fit with Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard.
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Unfortunately, Nash’s injury issues kept him sidelined for a majority of the season. He expected to come back strong at the beginning of this season, but continued to suffer from a nerve irritation.
As a result of missing a high amount of games, Nash has realized the reality that his career is near. During his historic night, he felt his nerve flare up again and is unlikely to return this season. He still has one year left on his contract, but it remains to be seen if he will ever recover from injury.
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VIDEO: Check Out All Of Steve Nash’s Assists From Lakers Vs. Rockets, Plus What Did Mark Jackson Tweet At Nash During The Game?