Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Nash-ville Artistry

As mentioned, I saw my first NBA game in Phoenix. Once again, I was blown away by the joy of watching sport in person (versus TV). Because I didn't see a pro sport game until I was about 23, it still amazes me to this day that these are the same superstars we see on the tube. It is surreal, because the actual game looks much more like a vanilla high-school game than it looks like the glitz shown on TV.

It was cool to check out Steve Nash. I'm not a big basketball fan, but all Canadians know about Steve-o. He's won the MVP title twice in a row and might snag a 3rd. For a 6'3" Canadian, this is pretty crazy stuff.

I can see why he wins MVP awards. He has great fundamentals and is selfless. He can clearly dribble better than most and almost seems to prefer to pass (though he can shoot just fine). This is highly reminiscent of Wayne Gretzy's style in hockey. However, he doesn't control the game or have the same presence as #99. He certainly doesn't have the presence of Michael Jordan, or even Kobe Bryant, but he quietly gets the job done.

The other trait is speed. This guy can fly and is willing to use it. Several times the Lakers would score and Nash would come sprinting out of the zone to put on the press. I think this was common place in the past, but compared to his colleagues, Nash put on a clinic in terms of work ethic and cardio training. In this respect, he reminded me of Guy Lafleur, who also would come flying out of his own zone in hockey.

The upshot is that the guy can play.... very cool.

ps. (Note to self: I just realized that most of you are too young or too "non-Canadian" to even know who Guy Lafleur is. That's sad and will be rectified.)

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