Steve Nash Credits Steph Curry for Prompting His Retirement
On a recent episode of the "Mind the Game" podcast, Steve Nash shared a humorous story with LeBron James and Steph Curry about the moment he realized his NBA career was ending, with Curry playing a key role.
The 2014-15 Preseason Clash
The turning point came during the 2014-15 preseason when Nash’s Los Angeles Lakers faced Curry’s Golden State Warriors in Ontario, California. The Warriors dominated early, scoring 39 points in the first quarter and eventually winning 116–75. Curry scored 12 points in the first 2:30 minutes and finished with 25 points in just 24 minutes.
Nash’s Struggle to Keep Up
Battling persistent back issues, Nash couldn’t match Curry’s speed and agility around screens.
“I’m guarding Steph. They put up like 50 in the first quarter -- maybe it was 45, but it felt like a 50-piece. I couldn’t have stopped him if I was 100 percent.”
The Realization and Retirement
Within a few days, Nash came to accept his physical limits.
“Man, literally like three more, four more days of thinking on it, I was like… yeah. I think it’s time. You put me out!”
In July 2014, Nash had already declared the 2014-15 season would be his last. After just three preseason games, his back problems worsened. On October 23, 2014, less than a week before the season started, he was ruled out for the year and never played in the NBA again.
Summary: Steve Nash humorously attributes Steph Curry’s dominating preseason performance in 2014 as the moment that convinced him to retire from the NBA due to physical limitations.