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It already has been quite a spring for Steve Nash. The Phoenix Suns point guard, who grew up in Victoria, B.C., led his club to the best regular-season record in the NBA. He was named the league's most valuable player. And plans have been unveiled for the inaugural Steve Nash Foundation Celebrity Classic, a charity basketball game that will be held at the Air Canada Centre on July 29.
Accolades and charitable causes aside, the 31-year-old Nash obviously has pressing concerns right now. After the Suns defeated the Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks in the first two rounds of the playoffs, respectively, Phoenix is down two games to none to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference final. Game 3 is tonight in San Antonio.
Still, the always gracious Nash took a couple of minutes yesterday to speak with The Toronto Sun about his upcoming charity game, and other things.
SUN: Would it ever have crossed your mind to hold to a charity game in Toronto had Vince Carter still been a Raptor, since he probably would have continued to hold his own charity game here?
NASH: "No. Definitely not. And actually, it didn't cross my mind. Someone approached me about the possibility of doing it, and I thought it was a good idea, in Vince's absence."
SUN: Are you feeling any more pressure to do these charity events, or to do more endorsements, now that you're the MVP? Does the league want you to be one of the main faces of the NBA?
NASH: "It's pretty much the same. The league gets enough mileage out of us anyway, I think. They're not dying for more."
SUN: By the way, will your charity game be impacted if the NBA locks out its players this summer?
NASH: "As far as I understand it, the game can go on. I don't think we could get any help from anyone in the Raptors or Suns organizations. And we probably couldn't use the Raptors' practice facility or anything like that. But I don't think the NBA has jurisdiction over the building. The Air Canada Centre is its own entity and the building is leased."
SUN: You've been asked before if you have an accurate gauge of your popularity in Canada, and you responded that you may be kind of oblivious. Will this charity game be a chance for you to get an accurate gauge?
NASH: "Sure. I mean, I have an idea of my popularity in Canada. But far more important than that, I just wanted to be part of something like this. And to have an opportunity to be in Toronto for an entire weekend is something I really am looking forward to."
SUN: Is the charity game going to have any unique Canadian touches?
NASH: "There probably will be, but I'm not sure what they'll be yet."
SUN: Do you still feel specifically Canadian, or are you more of a citizen of the world now?
NASH: (Laughs). "I guess I'm a bit of a citizen of the world. But no question, I still feel very Canadian."
SUN: Is there anything specifically Canadian that you still do?
NASH: "That's a tough question. Is there anything specifically Canadian that you do?"
SUN: Well, I live here.
NASH: (Laughs). "I don't know. I still follow the hockey. But I do miss out on our national beers a bit."
SUN: Now that there's a Canadian MVP in the NBA, which should inspire young basketball players in this country, is it feasible to expect a mini-influx of Canadians in the NBA in, say, 10 years? For example, one might credit the success of the Blue Jays a dozen years ago for the increased number of Canadians in Major League Baseball today.
NASH: "It's tough to predict something like that. But it would be great. If it happens, and if I had anything to do with it, that would be as rewarding as anything that has happened in my career."
SUN: Obviously you've been busy with the playoffs, but do you have an idea about what the roster is going to look like for your charity game?
NASH: "Well, I know already that our entire starting five with the Suns is going to be there (Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson). Allen Iverson (of the Philadelphia 76ers) is going to be there, as is Michael Finley (of the Dallas Mavericks), and hopefully (the Mavs') Dirk Nowitzki, too. He wants to be there, although he has quite a ways to come (he'll be back home in Germany). Some of the Raptors will be there, too. So hopefully we'll have a bunch of all-stars and we can put on a good show."
SUN: Speaking of Joe Johnson, is he going to play in Game 3? (Johnson hasn't played since he suffered a fractured orbital bone during the second round).
NASH: "Yeah, Joe's going to play (tonight), for sure."
SUN: What has to happen for the Suns to come back and beat the Spurs?
NASH: "Basically keep doing the same things, only do them better. The first two games came down to a couple of possessions in the fourth quarter. Our lack of depth has been noticeable at times, but we were right there in both games."
SUN: With all these playoff games and the MVP circus, how are you holding up?
NASH: "I'm holding up okay. I've worked hard on my body with the thought of having a long run in the post-season. I've played as many minutes as anybody in the playoffs, probably. But actually, I feel pretty good."