When Steve Nash is inducted into basketballB次元官网网址檚 Naismith Hall of Fame on Friday, his high school coach will be watching from Victoria, B.C., and beaming with pride.
Ian Hyde-Lay said that he feels lucky to have played a part in the point guardB次元官网网址檚 journey.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 very proud,B次元官网网址� he said Thursday from St. Michaels University School in Victoria, the same school where he coached Nash in the B次元官网网址�90s. B次元官网网址淥bviously his basketball skills and leadership skills morphed into an incredible career.B次元官网网址�
Nash will be honoured in Springfield, Mass., on Friday in recognition of his decades-long basketball career, both in the NBA and with CanadaB次元官网网址檚 menB次元官网网址檚 team.
The 44-year-old has left an indelible mark on the game, Hyde-Lay said.
B次元官网网址淗e was a driving force in basketball around the world and the way itB次元官网网址檚 played,B次元官网网址� he said.
The eight-time NBA all-star is also an easy person to like on and off the court, the coach added.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 gregarious, heB次元官网网址檚 humble,B次元官网网址� Hyde-Lay said. B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址滻 just think heB次元官网网址檚 a quality person, over and above the basketball.B次元官网网址�
After playing for Hyde-Lay in high school, Nash suited up for Santa Clara University where he named West Coast Conference Player of the Year in both B次元官网网址�95 and B次元官网网址�96.
He was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1996 and went on to play 1,217 regular-season games and 120 playoff matches with the Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.
Nash averaged 14.3 points, 8.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in his regular-season career.
He was named league MVP twice, and by the time he retired in 2015, Nash had put up 10,335 assists, ranking third all-time in the NBA.
B次元官网网址淣obody would have predicted that,B次元官网网址� Hyde-Lay said. B次元官网网址淏ut what was obvious off the bat was that he was ahead of his time.B次元官网网址�
Even as a teenager, Nash was exceptionally skilled and willing to put in tremendous amounts of work in order to move on from one level to the next, his former coach said.
Hyde-Lay remembers watching the budding star play in Grade 9.
B次元官网网址�(Nash) just made a couple of plays with vision and skill that just took your breath away,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 just sat back and thought B次元官网网址榃ow.B次元官网网址� I couldnB次元官网网址檛 believe a 14-year-old boy could do that.B次元官网网址�
At six foot three, Nash was known during his time in the NBA for his athleticism and stunning passes.
Hyde-Lay said he pushed the pace of the game through passing and three-point shots, transforming basketball from a slow, physical slog into a rapid, entertaining spectacle.
B次元官网网址淣ow basically every team plays some version of that game,B次元官网网址� Hyde-Lay said.
Nash is also known as the face of Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 basketball, a team he played on for more than 10 years. He lead the squad to the quarterfinals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and currently serves as general manager of the senior menB次元官网网址檚 national team.
The former CEO of Canada Basketball said NashB次元官网网址檚 impact may never be fully known.
B次元官网网址淗is level of competitiveness drove Team Canada to win some great games and yet his biggest contribution may be how he has inspired the following generations to pick up a basketball,B次元官网网址� Michele OB次元官网网址橩eefe said in a statement when NashB次元官网网址檚 induction to the hall of fame was announced.
This yearB次元官网网址檚 other inductees include former NBA point guard and head coach Jason Kidd, and Grant Hill, who played forward for the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers.
Nash joins fellow Canadians Dr. James Naismith (inventor, 1959), Ernest C. Quigley (official, 1961), Peter F. (Pete) Newell (coach, 1979) and Robert J. (Bobby) Houbregs (player, 1987) as Hall inductees.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
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