Devin Booker on being surrounded by young players on Suns
Devin Booker, once a young phenom, is now a veteran surrounded by young players: “It’s a lot of jokes.”
It took Steve Nash just one 2014-15 NBA preseason game against Stephen Curry to realize his Hall of Fame career was effectively over.
During LeBron James’ ”Mind The Game” podcast released on Nov. 4, the Phoenix Suns legend and the show’s co-host hilariously explained to their guest Curry that “putting him out to pasture” led to his retirement after 18 seasons.
“It’s not something I like to talk about,” Nash said as he began his anecdote while James and Curry laughed.
Nash played his final two with the Los Angeles Lakers after a sign-and-trade from the Suns in 2012. Curry was early in his career, having entered the league in the 2009-10 season.
Curry and his then-ascending Golden State Warriors team had a 116-75 blowout win over Nash and the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers in Ontario, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2014. Nash claimed that his excruciating back pain worsened by chasing Curry through the first quarter. That’s all it took to make him call it quits.
“We came out, I’m guarding Steph, I think they put up 50 in the first quarter,” Nash said. “Maybe it was 45, but it felt like a 50-piece. He’s running everywhere. I’m like, back is broke, everything is jacked. I couldn’t have stopped him if I (were) 100% and I’m like dragging around. (Warriors coach) Stevie Kerr’s putting me in every action.
“I’m looking over at Steve like, ‘Come on, Stevie. I think that we know … They’re laughing at me. (Former Warriors assistant and ex-Suns coach) Alvin Gentry is laughing at me,” Nash continued.
Nash, who has joined the Phoenix Suns as senior adviser this season, slightly grinned and shook his head to close his story after accepting the inevitable.
“Man, literally, three more, four more days of thinking on it, I was like, ‘Yeah, I think it’s time. I think it’s time,’ and that was it,” Nash said as James and Curry loudly guffawed.
Nash, who was 40 at the time, said he notified former Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak thereafter. His declining health caused him to appear in 50 and 15 games during his last two full seasons on the Lakers’ roster. Nash officially retired in March 2015.
Curry then drew laughs on the podcast. “Next thing I know, he (Nash) showed up at (Warriors) practice and was teaching us pick and roll as a consultant.”
Nash replied, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
Curry finished that 2014-15 season with the first of two consecutive MVP awards. Nash did the same with Phoenix in 2005 and 2006.
