Story by
"Hopefully he can have a nice career as a backup point guard" - Steve Nash's father had modest NBA hopes
- Story by
- "Hopefully he can have a nice career as a backup point guard" - Steve Nash's father had modest NBA hopes
The 1996 NBA Draft Class will go down in history as one of the most talent-rich classes ever.
From Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant to Ray Allen and Stephon Marbury, and so on, that year's batch of NBA hopefuls would eventually go on to feature five Hall of Famers, 11 All-Stars, 11 NBA champions, and three Most Valuable Player winners.
Advertisement
And while the highly-touted prospects like Iverson, Bryant, Allen, and Marbury did go on to have great NBA careers, it was a little-known guard out of Santa Clara University named Steve Nash that proved to be one of the draft's biggest hidden gems.
Even Steve's own father, John, only had modest hopes for his first-born.
When Nash won his first MVP award in 2005 after leading the Suns to a 62-20 record in his first year back in Phoenix, John shared that he'd be happy if his son had a decent career as a second-stringer.
Advertisement
"When Steve first got drafted in the NBA, I thought: 'Well, this is great, hopefully he can have a nice career as a backup point guard,'" said John.
As it turns out, Steve had bigger plans.
Nash knew he was at least a starting-caliber player
Even Nash's own expectations of himself were a bit on the modest side. While most players would go out and exclaim that they'd be stars, Steve kept it pretty conservative.
"But Steve said to me: 'No, Dad, I'm going to be a starter in this league,'" John shared. "Well okay, what do I know about these things?"
Advertisement
Nash, obviously, went on to become more than just a starter in the league, but that didn't happen instantly. In his first two seasons with Phoenix, Nash started just 11 games and averaged just 6.4 points in 16.7 minutes of action.
It wasn't until he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1998 that Nash began to realize the vision he saw for himself.
Nelson saw Nash's potential
According to John, it was somebody from the Mavericks' front office that helped Steve gain the confidence he needed to become a starter, and more.
Advertisement
"It was Donnie Nelson who first said to us: 'Steve is going to be the NBA's first Canadian All-Star.' I think that helped give Steve some extra inspiration," John said.
In his first season with the Mavericks, Nash started in all 40 games he played, almost four times the number he started in his first two seasons in the league. In his third season with Dallas, Nash started all 70 games and averaged 15.6 points and 7.3 assists per game, both career highs.
From 2001-2003, Nash had earned back-to-back All-Star appearances and All-NBA Third Team selections. Apart from that, the Canadian was also instrumental in leading the Mavericks to consecutive postseason berths from 2001 to 2004.
Advertisement
By the time he was done in Dallas, Nash had become more than just a starter in the league, but the best was still ahead.
Nash became a superstar in Phoenix
Nash had wanted to stay in Dallas to continue what he and Nowitzki were able to build there, but fate had other plans, and he ended up returning to Phoenix , this time as a bona fide star.
In his first two seasons back in The Valley, Nash won back-to-back MVP honors, something that John admitted caught him by surprise.
Advertisement
"I don't ever think I heard Steve talk about the possibility of being the MVP, but by now, we're used to him surprising us and surpassing everyone's expectations," he said.
According to John, it was his son's hard work that ultimately helped him become way more than just a backup point guard.
"Steve is a great athlete compared to the average person, but compared to the 450 people who play in the NBA, he is not a physical specimen," John explained. "But through his passing and his vision and his hard work, he has achieved so much."
Advertisement
Nash had a Hall of Fame career
When it was all said and done, Nash had himself a solid 18-year NBA career that saw him earn two MVPs, eight All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA Team selections, five assist titles, a Hall of Fame induction, and a spot on the NBA's 75 Greatest Players of All-Time list.
A pretty solid resume for somebody who said he'd be just a starter in the NBA.
Advertisement
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
