Steve Nash Credits Steph Curry for Prompting His Retirement
On a recent episode of the "Mind the Game" podcast, Steve Nash shared a humorous story with LeBron James and Steph Curry about the moment he realized his NBA career was coming to an end—and how Curry played a surprising role in that realization.
The Decisive 2014 Preseason Game
The moment occurred during the 2014-15 preseason when Nash and the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors in Ontario, California. The Warriors dominated early, scoring 39 points in the first quarter and cruising to a 116–75 victory.
- Curry scored 12 points in the opening 2 minutes and 30 seconds
- He finished the game with 25 points in just 24 minutes on the court
Already struggling with back issues, Nash admitted he couldn’t keep up with Curry’s speed and agility.
“I’m guarding Steph. They put up like 50 in the first quarter—maybe it was 45, but it felt like 50. I couldn’t have stopped him if I was 100 percent.”
The Moment of Realization
A few days after the game, Nash reflected on his physical state and decided it was time to retire.
“Man, literally like three more, four more days of thinking on it, I was like… yeah. I think it’s time,” Nash joked to Curry. “You put me out!”
Nash had already announced in July 2014 that the upcoming season would be his last. He managed to play just three preseason games before his back injury worsened.
On October 23, 2014, less than a week before the regular season started, Nash was officially ruled out for the entire season and never played in the NBA again.
Author's Summary
Steve Nash humorously credits Steph Curry’s elite performance in a 2014 preseason game as the key moment leading him to realize it was time to retire from the NBA.