Hoops Habit
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NBA: 30 greatest international players in league history

By Daniel Lubofsky

SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Greatest international NBA players of all time: 3. Steve Nash

Canadian basketball is currently at its highest level ever in the NBA. No. 1 overall picks in both 2013 and 2014 hailed from the great white north while a number of others have carved out solid careers. Hell, the current NBA champions are the Toronto Raptors for the first time in franchise history.

Rarely is there ever just a single person responsible for bringing the game to a specific area. If Canadians were forced to pick an ambassador for their country, though, there’s no doubt it would be Steve Nash.

Originally drafted 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1996, Nash would play two seasons in the desert before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. It was there where the point guard wizard would get the wheels turning on what would ultimately be a Hall of Fame career, averaging 14.6 points and 7.2 assists per game across six seasons.

Some players go their entire careers without finding an ideal coach to help bring out their best. Nash was one of the lucky few to find his sideline soulmate.

Upon returning to Phoenix, head coach Mike D’Antoni spread the court and pushed the pace, maximizing the all-time great playmaking skills his newest floor general possessed.

The results were unlike any the league had ever seen before. Phoenix became a Western Conference powerhouse on the foundation of an offense dubbed Seven Seconds or Less. Guys like Amar’e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were crucial, but it was ultimately Nash who served as the engine for the high-powered attack.

There aren’t many players who combined Nash’s ability to pass the ball with his otherworldly efficiency. He’s got the third most assists in league history who’s posted four — .01 percent from the free-throw line of being five — separate seasons with a shooting line of 50/40/90, the most in NBA history.

Nash was named to seven All-NBA Teams with two MVPs in his trophy case. Some bad luck and run-ins with some of the all-time great teams prevented his Suns from winning even one championship. After revolutionizing the position and providing a host of memories, the lack of rings still won’t stop him from standing the test of time wherever the game of basketball is taken next.