Steve Nash

Seasons

Season G PPG RPG NBA
Title
2012-13 (#10) 50 12.7 2.8
2013-14 15 6.8 1.9
2014-15 0 0

Guard, #10

 

Lakers fans were excited when the team acquired Steve Nash, one of the best point guards in NBA history, on July 11, 2012. Traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Lakers for a 2013 1st round draft pick, a 2013 2nd round draft pick, a 2014 2nd round draft pick and a 2015 1st round draft pick, Nash was the point guard the Lakers had long needed.

Unfortunately, Nash's tenure in Los Angeles was plagued by injuries. He eventually retired near the end of the 2014-15 season, having played in just 65 games over three seasons.

The Lakers had high hopes Nash would provide a steady, veteran presence for the team heading into the 2012-13 season. However, Nash, who turned 39 during the season, looked every bit his age. The passing skills were still there, but he seemed a step slower than normal, sort of like an aging boxer. His mind knew what to do, but the reflexes were just a little slower.

At the All-Star break of his first season in Los Angeles, the Lakers were 25-29, and 10th in the Western Conference. It was one of the worst starts in Lakers history, and not at all what anyone expected.

Nash was struggling to be an effective contributor. After three seasons of averaging at least 10 assists a game, Nash averaged 6.7 assists per game over an injury-limited 50 games. The situation became worse the following season when he appeared in only 15 games because of nerve problems in his left leg.

Over the ensuing off-season, Nash said 2014-15 would be his final NBA season, but it was over before it started. During a preseason contest against the Golden State Warriors, the two-time NBA MVP asked to be removed from the game by Coach Byron Scott, telling Scott "something doesn't feel right." It would be his final on-court appearance as a Laker. Days later, the Lakers ruled Nash out for the season because of a recurring back injury, eventually leading him to formally announce his retirement on March 21, 2015.

— Austin Knoblauch and Houston Mitchell
May 30, 2015