Steve Nash credits Steph Curry for ending his career
On a recent episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, co-host Steve Nash shared with LeBron James and Steph Curry the story of when he realized his NBA career had reached its end — and Curry played a big role in that moment.
The turning point in 2014
The event took place during the 2014–15 preseason, when the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors in Ontario, California. Golden State delivered a dominant first quarter, scoring 39 points and eventually winning 116–75. Curry exploded early, scoring 12 points in the first two and a half minutes and finishing with 25 points in just 24 minutes.
Nash’s realization on the court
“I’m guarding Steph,” Nash said. “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.”
Already struggling with back issues, Nash felt he simply couldn’t keep up with Curry’s pace and movement. A few days later, reflection turned into acceptance.
“Man, literally like three more, four more days of thinking on it, I was like… yeah. I think it’s time,” Nash joked to Curry. “You put me out!”
The final season
Back in July 2014, Nash had already announced that the coming season would be his last. At age 40, he played just three preseason games before recurring back pain sidelined him. The matchup against Golden State proved to be his final competitive appearance. On October 23, 2014, less than a week before opening night, he was ruled out for the season, effectively ending his storied NBA career.
Author’s summary
In a candid story, Steve Nash admitted that a dominant Steph Curry performance during the 2014 preseason confirmed it was time to step away from basketball.