Steve Nash

[Colonel_Reb]

Steve had an awesome game today against the Lakers, to even the series. 9/14 from the field, 13/13 from the foul line, and had 32 points and 13 assists! Steve has not been named MVP again yet, but FOX and several newspapers are saying he has it wrapped up.

There are 3 major awards to still be given out, MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. They should all be announced within the next few days.

The NBA GM's voted Nash the MVP before the season began according to NBA.com, and Dirk #2, but I think Billups, Bryant, and Nowitski are still in the running at this point. We'll have to wait and see.

On a somewhat different note, the Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Miller has been named the NBA 6'th man award winner for 2006. Congratulations to him, as this is another big thing for supporters of white basketball players.

Edited by: Colonel_Reb

 

[Charlie]

The Sun's coach deserves credit as well. I would argue his Euro background has resulted in a team where everyone is expected to run the court and shoot from the outside.

I mean, is there a single Sun's player who doesn't do those things? I don't think many American coaches would be happy to see Marion shoot those set shots with that odd technique.

 

[Poacher]

Nash takes second straight MVP award in landslide!

Who's going to complain this year? Last year all of the caste whiners on ESPN were implying that race was an issue and that shaq should have gotten it. Well, what will they say this year?

Way to go Steve!

 

[Bart]

Nash takes second straight MVP award in landslide!

Congratulations to Steve Nash who is one of the best basketball players in the world!!! He is an extremely skilled plater who shoots at a very high percentage, whether driving to the basket or throwing in long range jumpers. Along with his clutch shooting skills from the field he is an amazingly accurate free throw shooter with a killer instict during closing moments of a game.He can also burn other teams with his fabulous passes.He has ice-water in his veins, foul him and the game is over! He is the RARE great player who performs well and makes journeymen teammatesplay at a higher level than expected.


Having said that, I wish he would brag about his abilities. As with last years's acceptance speech, he played the -HUMBLE - card the way most white athletes do.


Steve: "I have to pinch myself," Nash said. "I can't believe that I'm standing here today. I couldn't believe it last year, and to do it again is even more difficult to understand -- but I'm not going to give it back."


"I guess part of me just tries to find the comedy in it," Nash said with his usual self-effacing humor. "It's thrilling and it's comedic and it's unbelievable. I just feel extremely honored to be recognized. I just love playing and I love working at it, trying to get better and challenging myself. I'm really lucky to have a place to do that in my life. I've come a long way, and I've enjoyed it."


"It's surreal," Nash said. "I feel silly being up here because I really can't put it into words, no matter how hard I try."


Nash praised his teammates and coaching staff for "a perfect environment for me to succeed and for our team to succeed, and for me to stand here today."


LeBron James who came in second in the balloting characteristically had no words of praise for Nash but focused attention on himself.


James: "It would have been nice of course to put another trophy in my house, in my showcase," he said from Auburn Hills, Mich., before the Cavaliers played the DetroitPistons "But it's something I'm going to keep working hard for. I can't dwell on not being named MVP."

 

[Colonel_Reb]

We have the first white back to back MVP since Bird did it 3 times from 1984-86! This is great! I am a kid again, well not really, but this is great to see. Nash is only the 3'rd white player in NBA history to win 2 MVP Awards. Congratulations to him!

 

[KG2422]

It should also be noted that Santa Clara was the only D-1 school to offer Nash a scholarship out of high school. His success, along with others, is helping to change that mindset in recruiters now. This is a recent change in basketball. Football could be next. I'm sure a decade ago basketball was worse for Whites than football.

 

[StaleyWasScrewd]

Football is a much, much tougher nut to crack than basketball. While the percentage of white NBA players was certainly lower 10 years ago, they were never shut out from playing any position. There have always been white point guards, forward, and centers. When you see a white player at point guard in college, you don't do a double take like you do if you see a white player at running back or cornerback. Imagine if the last regular starting white NBA point guard played in 1986. That's the kind of uphill struggle whites are facing in the NFL at running back.

There is also so much more empirical evidence for the powers that be that whites can be successful in basketball, such as the Italian and Argentinian teams doing so well in the Olympics. All-white teams both holding their own and beating the all-black U.S. teams. There's nothing even close to that in football. And since football isn't very popular overseas, there's not an influx of European players on the horizon that aren't afraid to challenge stereotypes.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Staley, I agree. Football will take a long time to reverse itself, but I think it will happen before too many years pass. That's why we have to change the American mindset about race and sports from the bottom all the way to the top, and not necessarily in that order.

 

[Southern Knight]

Nash is incredible. I caught the tail-end of a radio interview with a retired black NBA player (I didn't catch his name) who said that he thinks he would have averaged about 10 points a game MORE over his career if he had played with Steve Nash. The guy just marveled over the quality of shots that Nash creates for his teammates.

Here's all you need to know about Steve Nash's ability to make his teammates better: Boris Diaw was putting up 17-19 ppg down the stretch and in the playoffs. He wouldn't get more than 5 or 6 ppg without Nash.

Staley: great comparison between the relative strengths of the caste systems of the NBA and the NFL.

 

[whiteCB]

Steve Nash once again deserved the MVP and won it and you can't say that all the time. I can't believe the liberal PC media actually picked a white guy two years in a row and this year in a landslide to win the MVP. Nash you are the man and to be peaking in your career at 32 is just another testament to your hard work and great abilites. Way to go Steve!

 

[white lightning]

Suns win tonight in game one against the Clippers behing Mr.MVP Steve Nash.He had 31 points & 13 assists!His only thing he is missing is a ring.Let's hope that this is the year.Then he will really shut up the last of the critics.It's funny to see so many unhappy people that a white basketball player has won the award two years in a row.He deserves it so people need to just get over it!!

 

[pt.guard2]

Bill Simmons of ESPN has been going on about how ridiculous it is that Nash won the MVP over Kobe, although he does acknowledge that Nash represents everything that he like about basketball(unselfishness, team play, good character) and Kobe personifies everything he does not like (selfishness, individual play, dubious character, contrived phoniness). Figure that one out.

I know that the PTI guys are not well liked on this site, but Mike Wilbon has been campaigning for Steve Nash for MVP for most of the year, even though he was getting some heat for not picking Kobe or LeBron.

 

[KG2422]

Football is a much, much tougher nut to crack than basketball. While the percentage of white NBA players was certainly lower 10 years ago, they were never shut out from playing any position. There have always been white point guards, forward, and centers. When you see a white player at point guard in college, you don't do a double take like you do if you see a white player at running back or cornerback. Imagine if the last regular starting white NBA point guard played in 1986. That's the kind of uphill struggle whites are facing in the NFL at running back.

There is also so much more empirical evidence for the powers that be that whites can be successful in basketball, such as the Italian and Argentinian teams doing so well in the Olympics. All-white teams both holding their own and beating the all-black U.S. teams. There's nothing even close to that in football. And since football isn't very popular overseas, there's not an influx of European players on the horizon that aren't afraid to challenge stereotypes.

I see your point ,and I agree that the situation is different. But shooting guard was a position where Whites were almost absent 10 years ago. Jeff Hornacek was a notable exception ,but I don't recall another. The parallel I was attempting to draw is the hypothetical effect a few White stars at running back could make. For example, if Kyle Bell defies the odds and stars in the NFL it could change perception drastically. Then again, Jason Sehorn didn't change things for us at cornerback.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Alright. So he won it. There it is. Not that much of a surprise though. Basketball is played all over the world and the NBA is catching on to hiring employees from other countries. That's not much of a surprise either, I mean who would you rather have working for you? Would you prefer the reliable, consistent, diligent, intelligent, and thrive to a high standard of excellence type, or would you prefer the "hey yo, I ain't gonna do that man" type. The answer's obvious as most successfull organizations prefer the former. The NBA is waking up: you can't coach most of those guys, especially when many of them get together, they have that impossibly deliquent attitude.

 

[surfsider]

Staley is right about the empirical evidence being there but it is stil a tough haul to make the average fan really see it. Many basketball fans easily forget or never take notice when the US is beaten by other countries. ESPN doesn't make much of it. Does anybody know what kind of televison coverage there will be for the World Championships in August? The US is in group D with Senegal, China(first game), Puerto Rico, Slovenia and Italy.

 

[white lightning]

The Suns won their 8th game in a row last net over the Nets.Steve Nash has again proven why he is the MVP for two straight years.He had 42 points and 13 assists.This is coming off a his last game where he had 20 assists.The guy is simply incredible.He is having the best year of his career and should be a serious threat to win the MVP for the third year in a row.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I hope so, white lightning! One SLC radio sports host said Nash would be at the top of his must have list, and the co-host agreed. I think his top 5 were Nash, Bryant, James, Duncan, and Nowitzki.

 

[lumsdenpower]

Proud to be CANADIAN

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

My top 5 for MVP:
Nash, Nowitski, Yao, Lebron, Bryant... Speaking
of Bryant I'd much rather have Wade in there, (who is close on my list)
b/c I like him much more as a person, but
Bryant has been an increadible team leader this
year and LA is having a great season. He is
passing much better this year, and
as always has a clutch shot.

I think Lebron will win the award this year. It's
hard for any player to be voted for an MVP three years in a row let
alone a white player like Nash!

 

[Bart]

Steve Nash is a phenomenal offensive player. He is the best assist man in the league, and is shooting over 52 % from the field, which isoutstandingbecause he shoots from all over the court, not just in close. He is better than 91% from the line andas of tonight he has hit 53 of 107 three pointers!That is just shy of 50%. Iverson and Anthony are only shooting them at 23% and 26%. Kobe, Billups and Wade are somewhere in the 30% range.Tony Parker is over 50% but he has only taken 17 - 3's and is only a 31% career shooterfrom long range. Vince Carter put up 20 3's in justonegame the other day.


Nashis incredible and should be a super duper star.He doesn't even need to shoot very often because he moves the ball down the court so rapidly and makes his team so much better. If he tossed it up as much as the big scorers, he could put up huge numbers. He does that in playoff's when he needs to. He really is an awesomeplayer.

 

[pt.guard2]

I agree with Riggins. Although Nash may be having even a better year this year than his MVP seasons, there is no way he will join Wilt, Bird and Jordan as a member of the 3 in a row MVP club. As someone who played point guard in D1 ball (albeit as a walk-on...and not many minutes at that) he is a joy to watch.

I think Lebron will win, although if I had to pick between LeBron, Kobe and Wade, I would take Wade because he seems to come up big when it counts.

 

[GreatLakeState]

It was shocking last week, just going down the field goal % leaders list
and seeing a point guard's name pop up surrounded by guy's six inches
taller, and few of them focal points of their team's offenses.

 

[white lightning]

I just thought that I would throw in his 39 point game recently and how they have been the hottest team in the nba.Take Nash away and the Suns are barely above average.With him they are a great team that can contend for the NBA Championship.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

It is a big deal to make something called the 50-40-90 club. The amount to make this club can be counted on one hand...Larry Bird is one of the members. Nash made it last year. It means 50% FG, 40% 3pt FG, and 90% FT percentage..
Nash is shooting so dominant this year he may join the 50-50-90 club...this is absolutley insane!Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

didn't Matt Harpring accomplish that incredible feat a couple of years ago? if not, he was very, very close...

i like Harpring's game a lot. injuries have slowed him down recently, though.