Sports Radio Interviews

Steve Nash: “Right now I am not sure if we are a championship caliber team”

September 29, 2009 – 10:15 am by Jimmy Shapiro

 

This post was written by Zach Krantz of WQAM in Miami.  Steve Nash has been on the NBA roller coaster for the last couple years.   Nash joined the Suns before the start of the 2004-2005 season, the year before they were 29-53, they ended the 04-05 season 62-20 and Nash won the MVP.   Again in the 05-06 season Nash won the MVP and his team went to the Western Conference Finals and in 06-07 they went to the Western Semifinals.   After that season, the team traded for Shaquille O’Neal but lost in the first round of the playoffs.   Last season the Suns fired their coach midway through the season and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in Nash’s second stint with the Suns.   Now the Suns are using the dreaded term every veteran player hates to hear, “Rebuilding”

 

 

Nash and teammate Amare Stoudemire are the only ones left from those championship contending teams in the last 5 years.   They are getting younger and making moves based on money and not necessarily talent.   Nash in the offseason had a difficult choice to make with one year remaining on his contract with the Suns.   He decided to stay with the Suns accepting their two-year extension offer worth $22 million.  Nash is hoping the young talent they have along with him, Grant Hill and Amare Stoudemire will bring this team back to where they were a few years back.

 

Steve Nash joined KTAR in PHX and talked about the offseason with the Suns team, the moves the team made or didn’t make, his extension he signed over the offseason and the chances his team has going into the season.

 

Asked about his team’s offseason moves and his excitement level going into the new season:

 

“I am excited, I think last year was disappointing for everyone, we had so many different things thrown at us.  Whether it be going from Mike D’Antoni to Terry Porter, losing Terry Porter, having Raja and Boris traded and trying to fit JRich in, Jared Dudley. Playing a different style and having Shaq here to fit in the mix as well.  Those were all the things that didn’t go our way and we couldn’t overcome last year. Financially we had to cut some fat some places but we still feel like we can win a lot of games here and build a really fun team.”

 

Talks about the thought process of signing the extension in Phoenix this offseason:

 

“Primarily I felt like Phoenix has been home to me for five years now.  The fans are phenomenal, the organization has been great and I feel like a part of the community and that really is important to me.  The other thing that goes with that is I really love my teammates and I want to play with them.  There is always an argument to bounce around and try to find the best winning situation you can.  But I really feel good about what we built here, and the opportunity we still have be a winning team here and I wanted to try and bring that atmosphere back to the fans and do it with these group of guys I really love playing with”.

 

About the legit chances of winning championship in Phoenix with the team they have:

 

“Of course as a competitor I want to win a championship and it pains me to say right now, I am not sure if we are a championship caliber team.  Whatever our potential is I want to fight for that every day and hopefully that will get us in the upper echelon”

Listen to Steve Nash on KTAR in Phoenix with Gambo & Ash

Tags: NBA interviews, NBA training camps, Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash