Stephen John "Steve" Nash, born on February 7, 1974, in South Africa, and would grow up to be one of the best point guards in NBA history.
Nash would move and grow up in British Columbia, where he was a soccer star and played hockey. He didn't take up basketball until he was 12, and when he did he knew he was going to be a star. His senior year of high school he lead his team to a British Columbia AAA provincial title, while earning the MVP of the province with an average of 21.3 points, 11.2 assists, and 9.1 rebounds.
Despite his high school success and his coach's effort to send out footage of Nash to 30 colleges, not one American college recruited him. But after Santa Clara coach Dick Davey saw footage of the guard, he knew he had a star on his hands and quickly offered Nash a scholarship for the 1992-93 season.
That season Nash lead Santa Clara to the NCAA Tournament, where he helped the team beat No. 2 seed Arizona in the first round. Nash made 6 consecutive free throws to ice the game. Nash graduated from Santa Clara as the team's all-time leader in assists.
Nash was selected 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft. Suns fans booed not knowing who he was. They soon would, and would soon witness one of the most special NBA players ever.
Check out his 10 best plays of his career:
During his time with the Suns (1996-1998, and 2004-2012), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), and currently the Los Angeles Lakers, Nash has left behind a legacy few others have. He won back-to-back league MVPs in 2005-2006 with the Suns. He is an 8-time All-Star, and a 5-time league assists leader.
For his career Nash has averaged 8.5 assists per game and 14.3 points. During the playoffs he's averaged 8.8 assists and 17.3 points per game.
While his career of late has been hampered by injury after injury, here's hoping he can make it back to the court. Happy birthday, Steve Nash.
