Steve Nash Biography

Born in South Africa on February 7, 1974, Stephen John Nash and his family moved to Canada when he was still a young boy. Nash's father was a minor league pro soccer player while and his mother was played for the English National Netball team while they lived in South Africa, and both his sister and his brother play soccer. Although Nash played soccer throughout school, he decided to focus on basketball during his high school years. During his college years, he headed for the NBA draft, where he met Dirk Nowitzki, and the two became friends.

During the NBA draft, he was selected 15th by the Phoenix Suns in the first round during 1996. He was the first Canadian to be selected that high up in the draft. Although the fans in Phoenix didn't care for him much during his first season, he continued to wow the coach and the basketball scoreboards around the nation. But, in 1998, Nash was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where his long time friend Dirk Nowitzki was playing. Nash was not received well in Dallas either, after a lower back injury kept him from playing in the first 10 games of the season. And, in the 1999-2000 season, he suffered an ankle injury that kept him from playing 25 games. But, to prove all the negative comments wrong, he came back with some career making moves that led him to improve his overall game, and gain some respect in the fan's eyes.

During the 2000-2001 season, his average points were over 15 per game and rising. Along with other star players on the team, this new “dream team” was swiftly scoring points and winning games all over the board. In 2001-2002, he continued to improve his average points per game and was offered a spot on the NBA All-Star Game on the third team. Again, in 2002-2003, he still continued to improve his scoring and was once more asked to join the NBA All-Star team on the third team.

But, the 2003-2004 season saw a decline in his average points per game, and he was not chosen for the NBA All-Star game this year. When his contract with Dallas expired, he tried to negotiate with the new owner. Even though Dallas didn't want to lose Nash, he did to the Phoenix Suns, where Nash was offered more money and a better deal all around. So, in 2004-2005, Nash appeared on the basketball court, playing for the Suns once more.

With Nash once again playing for the Suns, and several other newcomers, the team began to win and play better overall once more. They would consistently overrun other teams and became the highest-scoring team in the league in over a decade. But, once again, as his career was on the rise in Phoneix, Nash suffered yet another injury. Without Nash's leadership, the Suns lost their next three games. But, Nash still managed to gain the coveted MVP award for the 2004-2005 season.

In the 2005-2006 season, Nash was still playing for the Suns, leading the team once more to victories all over the board. With his amazing season, it was a sure thing that he gained the MVP award once again, for the second year in a row. He also finally made the NBA All-Star's first team for the very first time.