Hall Of Famer Steve Nash On His NBA Dream: 'I Wanted To Be Black'

Hall of Famer Steve Nash got straight to the point when explaining why he chased an NBA dream.

When speaking with LeBron James on their podcast, Nash said the reason was simple.

"So let's be real, like I wanted to be black," Nash said. "All the best players in the world were black. All the best rappers. So I'm trying to emulate anyone who had something about him. I started playing basketball, fell in love with it. The first Air Jordan Ones. Spike Lee commercials."

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Posted by Entirely NBA on Sunday, May 11, 2025

Nash fulfilled every bit of his dream. He won consecutive MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in the mid-2000s. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 and later became a coach with the Brooklyn Nets.

About the only blemish on his career was never winning a championship. Still, he credited his development on watching black players like Tim Hardaway, Kenny Anderson and Isiah Thomas while growing up.

It helped him add some flavor to his game.

"That was an exciting way to play," Nash said. "Watching Tim Hardaway's killer crossover, Kenny Anderson. These guys I grew up watching were just wizards with the ball. Like Isiah was my hero. His handle was amazing."

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