Steve Nash Credits Steph Curry for Prompting His Retirement
On the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast, Steve Nash shared a humorous story with LeBron James and Steph Curry about the moment he realized his NBA career was over — and how Curry played a role in that decision.
The 2014-15 Preseason Game
The story goes back to a 2014-15 preseason matchup between Nash's Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in Ontario, California. The Warriors dominated early, scoring 39 points in the first quarter and cruising to a 116–75 victory.
- Curry scored 12 points in the first 2:30 and finished with 25 points in 24 minutes.
- Nash, already struggling with back problems, realized he couldn’t keep up with Curry's speed and agility.
“I’m guarding Steph. 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.”
The Decision to Retire
A few days after the game, Nash came to terms with his physical limitations. He joked with Curry:
“Man, literally like three more, four more days of thinking on it, I was like… yeah. I think it’s time. You put me out!”
In fact, Nash had already announced in July 2014 that the upcoming season would be his last. At 40 years old, he played just three preseason games before his back injury flared up again. On October 23, 2014, less than a week before the regular season opener, Nash was ruled out for the entire season and never returned to NBA play.
Summary
Steve Nash humorously credits Steph Curry's dominant preseason performance for signaling the end of his NBA career, as persistent injuries and Curry's pace convinced him to retire.