Steve Nash - The Finish Line

[Mori Chu]

You'll get next year's first rounder and we should be out of the Lottery by then, God willing.

Nuh-uh. The Lakers have at least 1-2 more years of misery a-comin'. Next year is going to be another rough one. Sorry, sport. How exactly do you think they would possibly get out of the lottery in one year? Are you banking on a bunch of miracle free-agent signings? Melo? Love?

[iLLmatic]

I was referring to your pick next year homie.

No way it's in the Lottery. Kobe didn't permit it last time. He won't permit it next time. You ain't gettin' no Lottery pick. No.

You're gonna need a lot more than God to get you into the playoffs and out of the Lottery next year. Kobe ain't delivering you out of the lottery next year and Nash ain't either.

[iLLmatic]

Yes, that is how I feel. It was a random injury, a fluke; That bone, that nerve, would have assumedly *never been injured* in Phoenix; Maybe another injury, but that can't be known. What is known is that *this* particular one would have been avoided. His career would have continued at the slowly downward tragectory that it was going at, not the instant end of his career.

I wanted to see Nash succeed in LA with our offense; I held no hate, as long as I could attribute Lakers success to Nash in place of Kobe.

I am of the mindset that Nash should have retired in Phoenix, and finished his career here, even if it meant coming off the bench behind Dragic, or playing the 2 next to him (or vice versa.) They never told him they were moving in another direction; They didn't discuss the matter in any way. They just proceeded in a new direction without so much as a phone call, leaving Nash to take the hint. Thats not the way you treat a local legend.

We should have traded him after Amar'e left; I'm thankful that we got to see Blanks pull Mitch's pants down for everyone to see.

[Culburn369]

Yes, that is how I feel. It was a random injury, a fluke; That bone, that nerve, would have assumedly *never been injured* in Phoenix; Maybe another injury, but that can't be known. What is known is that *this* particular one would have been avoided. His career would have continued at the slowly downward tragectory that it was going at, not the instant end of his career.

I wanted to see Nash succeed in LA with our offense; I held no hate, as long as I could attribute Lakers success to Nash in place of Kobe.

I am of the mindset that Nash should have retired in Phoenix, and finished his career here, even if it meant coming off the bench behind Dragic, or playing the 2 next to him (or vice versa.) They never told him they were moving in another direction; They didn't discuss the matter in any way. They just proceeded in a new direction without so much as a phone call, leaving Nash to take the hint. Thats not the way you treat a local legend.

We should have traded him after Amar'e left; I'm thankful that we got to see Blanks pull Mitch's pants down for everyone to see.

Though nothing trumps CWEBB getting bored, turning his back & heading on back up that lane.

And the horn as that shot came in. My God.

That's what happens when a hump like Ainge can't control himself.

tee, hee.

[Culburn369]

Yes, that is how I feel. It was a random injury, a fluke; That bone, that nerve, would have assumedly *never been injured* in Phoenix; Maybe another injury, but that can't be known. What is known is that *this* particular one would have been avoided.

They needed you outside Detroit before Vanos augered in.

[Phoenix219]

Yes, that is how I feel. It was a random injury, a fluke; That bone, that nerve, would have assumedly *never been injured* in Phoenix; Maybe another injury, but that can't be known. What is known is that *this* particular one would have been avoided. His career would have continued at the slowly downward tragectory that it was going at, not the instant end of his career.

I wanted to see Nash succeed in LA with our offense; I held no hate, as long as I could attribute Lakers success to Nash in place of Kobe.

I am of the mindset that Nash should have retired in Phoenix, and finished his career here, even if it meant coming off the bench behind Dragic, or playing the 2 next to him (or vice versa.) They never told him they were moving in another direction; They didn't discuss the matter in any way. They just proceeded in a new direction without so much as a phone call, leaving Nash to take the hint. Thats not the way you treat a local legend.

We should have traded him after Amar'e left; I'm thankful that we got to see Blanks pull Mitch's pants down for everyone to see.

The fact that Nash had those terrible post Amare teams fighting for .500 ball speaks volumes.

If we had a real GM, rather than Sarver, calling the shots that summer, we may have gotten a proper reload, as opposed to the Warrick, Hedo, Childress, poo poo platter. We pissed his final years away surrounding him with inferior talent.

[SwingMan]

Nash responds to critics in episode 3 :

[carey]

An hour long podcast with Nash from Simmons on video: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/b-s-r ... ith-video/

[The Bobster]

Nash is basically what a lot of stars have done in thinking he still has gas in the tank and can get back to being a productive player.

There is a long list of players who probably hung around to long - Abdul-Jabbar, Olajuwon, Ewing, K.Malone, M.Malone, Kidd, Mutombo, even Jordan. Nash, Kobe, R.Allen, Garnett and Pierce are feeling it now too, and Nowitzki, Duncan, Ginobili and P.Gasol are right behind them.

[LazarusLong]

It's sad when a great athlete hangs on too long. I remember Willie Mays falling down in the outfield in Shea, going after fly balls that 10 years earlier he would have sauntered after and put away safely with a basket catch.

I admire guys like Wilt and Jim Brown who walked away at or near the top of their game, essentially because they recognized there was nothing left to prove.

[The Bobster]

Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Wilt Chamberlain, Bjorn Borg, Jerry West, Sandy Koufax, etc.

It's certainly the exception rather than the rule. The money's just to good to pass up now.

[Charlie Smithy!]

It's sad when a great athlete hangs on too long. I remember Willie Mays falling down in the outfield in Shea, going after fly balls that 10 years earlier he would have sauntered after and put away safely with a basket catch.

I admire guys like Wilt and Jim Brown who walked away at or near the top of their game, essentially because they recognized there was nothing left to prove.

Mays was obviously before my time, but it seems like he is almost (unfortunately) the quintessential example of a player past his prime.

Though I will say growing up as a Suns/NBA fan in the 90s, it sure was weird seeing Hakeem with the Raptors and Ewing with the Sonics/Magic.

As an aside, the steroid crackdown in baseball (such as it is, anyway) seemingly has brought players back down to earth in their 30s. Food for thought.

[Mori Chu]

To me there's a sweet spot. I don't like it when guys leave too early. Why did MJ retire in '98? He should have stuck around. That Bulls team should have tried to see if they could 4-peat. I don't care if they were running on fumes. They were the champs and should have stayed there until somebody beat them. The fact that MJ came back in a weird teal Wizard jersey 3-4 years later showed that he wasn't done and shouldn't have left.

But at the same time, hanging on too long can be painful. At some point the body just won't cooperate any more. It's sad to see.

I don't think guys should leave "at the top of their game." If they did that, Tim Duncan would be retired by now, and we wouldn't have had his magical run to the Finals this past May. That was impressive and added to his legacy. I am glad he is still playing. I think players should hang it up when they have reached a point where they are not more valuable than the guy who would replace them. If Duncan gets to the point where he is actually not helping them by being out there, relative to the other guy they could have on the floor, it's time.