NBA legend, Steve Nash, has recently announced his retirement to basketball, according to ESPN and Yahoo! Sports. The two-time MVP star has recently had some trouble playing with an injury to his leg from fall of 2012.
After spawning a 19-year career as a point guard and leading as the third-most assists in the league, Nash will surely be missed in the game of basketball. This past Saturday Nash announced his retirement in a formal letter published on The Players’ Tribune.

“The greatest gift has been to be completely immersed in my passion and striving for something I loved so much — visualizing a ladder, climbing up to my heroes. The obsession became my best friend. I talked to her, cherished her, fought with her and got knocked on my ass by her. And that is what I’m most thankful for in my career. In my entire life, in some ways. Obviously, I value my kids and my family more than the game, but in some ways having this friend — this ever-present pursuit — has made me who I am, taught me and tested me, and given me a mission that feels irreplaceable. I am so thankful. I’ve learned so many invaluable lessons about myself and about life. And of course I still have so much to learn. Another incredible gift.”

 

Nash, who rose to instant gratification as one of the best in the NBA, had an amazing career with the Phoenix Suns, where he led them from 29 to 62 wins in 2004-05 and where he won his first of two MVPs, Dallas Mavericks, and will retire with the LA Lakers – although he did not play this season due to injuries. He will finish his career with 10,335 assists, behind John Stockton and Jason Kidd.

Nash also stated:

“To now realize that it’s over, it’s really difficult to put it into words. It’s just a weird transition‎. Every athlete goes through it. A lot of people say an athlete dies twice, and in some ways, without being salacious, that’s true. If you want to enjoy and be happy in life, you have in some ways to say goodbye to your former self. And that’s not easy, especially for guys. We’re not the most communicative of the species. So it’s hard to kind of put it all in perspective.”

The game will truly miss watching such a dynamic player.

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