Steve Nash Credits Steph Curry for Prompting His Retirement
On the latest episode of the "Mind the Game" podcast, Steve Nash shared a memorable story with LeBron James and guest Steph Curry about the moment he accepted that his NBA career was over, partly due to Curry’s impact on the court.
Preseason Clash That Changed Everything
The pivotal moment happened during the 2014-15 preseason when Nash and the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors in Ontario, California. The Warriors exploded early, scoring 39 points in the first quarter and winning the game 116–75.
- Curry scored 12 points in the opening 2:30 and finished with 25 points in just 24 minutes.
- Nash, who was battling back issues, felt he couldn’t physically keep up with Curry’s quick movements 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.” — Steve Nash
Realization of Retirement
A few days after the game, Nash reflected seriously on his situation. He joked with Curry on the podcast:
“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!” — Steve Nash
In fact, Nash had already announced in July 2014 that the upcoming season would be his last. At 40 years old, he only appeared in three preseason games before a back injury forced him out. The game against the Warriors was among those final appearances.
On October 23, 2014, just days before the regular season started, Nash was officially ruled out for the year and never returned to play another NBA game.
Summary
Steve Nash humorously credits Steph Curry’s incredible preseason performance in 2014 as a key factor in realizing it was time to retire, marking the end of his NBA journey due to injury and physical limits.
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