2. What was your favorite Nash moment in a Suns uniform?
Gerald Bourguet: The 2010 Western Conference semifinals. That Suns team was a major surprise all season long, and reaching the Western Conference Finals wound up being Nash’s last hurrah. But before the Suns got there, they had to get past the experience and championship pedigree of the San Antonio Spurs, a team that had broken Phoenix’s heart so many times in the past.
It was a pleasant surprise, however, when the Suns swept San Antonio in four games and Nash provided us with another instance of his heroic dedication to his team and to winning. In Game 4, with Phoenix looking to close out the series on the road, Nash was forced to leave the game after an inadvertent elbow from Tim Duncan. But Nash didn’t leave anything to chance, returning to the game with one eye completely swollen shut to help Phoenix close out the series. It doesn’t get much more heroic than that.
Gavin Schall: Nash’s Game 1 in the 2007 Western Conference semifinals was perfectly representative of his time with the Suns. Nash looked like the ideal picture of an NBA point guard, playing with complete selflessness, running both the break and half court offense to to total perfection, attacking the rim with total abandon and — given the slightest bit of space — showcasing that silky smooth jumper, which was one of the prettiest sights you could see on an NBA court for years.
With about three minutes left in the game Nash cut his nose open on a freak collision with Tony Parker. He came back in and drained a leaning three-pointer that maybe 10 players in the league would have the testicular fortitude and skill level to take and make.
Nash added a nice scoop layup, but the Suns ultimately fell after Nash had to come out of the game when his nose started bleeding again. Much like the infamous Duncan triple to beat the buzzer or the hip check game, fate was once again with the Spurs and against the Suns. Despite a flawless performance Nash could do nothing about it.
Mark Harris: Well I am not native to the Valley so I haven’t seen as many Suns games as many of you have, but there is one memorable Steve Nash moment that comes to mind.
But in all seriousness, the best Steve Nash moments were his incredible highlight-reel assists.
Scott Chasen: Either the one-eyed game against the Spurs in 2010 or the series against the Mavericks when he went absolutely ballistic. That series was back in 2005, and I just remember how crazy he was in Games 3-6. His stats were completely absurd in those four games too: he averaged 37.0 points, 11.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game, shooting 60 percent from the field, 50 percent from three and 95 percent from the free throw line. Simply ridiculous.
Colton Dodgson: My favorite Nash moment has got to be from the 2010 Western Conference Finals. Nash broke his nose at the end of Game 4 and was forced to undergo surgery. Nash played in Game 5 and dropped 29 points and 11 assists. Even though the Suns dropped Game 5, then later the series, watching Nash re-align his nose on the court was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.
Next: No. 3