Report: Steve Nash to join Warriors as part-time player development consultant
As if shooting competitions at Golden State Warriors practices weren't intense enough.
Steve Nash is set to join the Warriors as a part-time player development consultant, according to a report from Marc Stein of ESPN. Stein reports that Nash didn't originally plan to go into coaching, but has been "lobbied aggressively" by the Warriors to join the team for a few days per month.
The Dallas Mavericks had reportedly hoped to get Nash to unretire this offseason - something the Cleveland Cavaliers pushed for late in the 2014-15 season - but Nash has maintained he'd only play for the Los Angeles Lakers were he physically able. Nash retired in March, having played just 65 games over the past three seasons due to injuries.
Nash will specifically work with Golden State's guards. He spent time mentoring Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson last season, which the rookie called "a blessing." Nash also serves as the general manager of the upstart Canadian men's basketball team, and save for a disappointing semifinal loss to Venezuela at the FIBA Americas, it appears his presence has made a positive impact.
The two-time MVP is known as one of the smartest team-first players to play and, to hear former head coach Mike D'Antoni tell it, "the original Stephen Curry."
Nash joins Curry and head coach Steve Kerr to form what has to be the most elite shooting group in the history of any practice anywhere. Among players with 500 career 3-pointers made, Kerr, Curry, Nash, and Klay Thompson rank first, third, seventh, and 10th, respectively, in career 3-point percentage.
Min. 500 3FG | Player | G | 3FG | 3P% |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Steve Kerr | 910 | 726 | 0.454 |
2 | Hubert Davis | 685 | 728 | 0.441 |
3 | Stephen Curry | 416 | 1191 | 0.44 |
4 | Kyle Korver | 884 | 1729 | 0.432 |
5 | Steve Novak | 449 | 567 | 0.431 |
6 | Anthony Morrow | 447 | 687 | 0.429 |
7 | Steve Nash | 1217 | 1685 | 0.428 |
8 | Danny Green | 323 | 615 | 0.42 |
9 | Wesley Person | 733 | 1150 | 0.418 |
10 | Klay Thompson | 306 | 784 | 0.418 |
They'll also have No. 2 (Nash), No. 5 (Curry), and No. 37 (Kerr) on the all-time free-throw percentage leaderboard.
Here's betting that last year's shooting competitions get even more intense this time around.