At 41, and having recently retired from playing basketball, the two-time MVP and future Hall of Famer has to figure out what comes next.
The Los Angeles Lakers should reach out and offer the man his next official job—as an assistant coach for the 2015-16 season.
Nash thanked a lot of people in a retirement letter he wrote through The Players’ Tribune in March. The Lakers were among those he expressed gratitude toward for the support they gave him during a difficult three years—the point guard broke his leg in his second game with the organization “and nothing was the same.”
Nash didn’t play a single minute during the recently concluded regular season, but missing that experience still feels fresh. There’s also the desire to find new challenges.
“I already miss the game deeply,” Nash wrote, “but I’m also really excited to learn to do something else.”
One of the league’s great players left a lasting impact on how the game is played in the modern NBA, and he also influenced how the game is coached.
After being declared out for the season due to the inescapable ravages of time and injury, Nash initially stayed away from the team.
“I was in a really difficult position mentally and emotionally,” Nash said recently, per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “It wasn’t easy for me. I think the best thing for everyone was for me to get away.”
But halfway through a skidding season that had become all about development, Nash was invited back to help mentor the next generation.
“They asked me if I would work with the guys,” Nash said, “and I immediately said, ‘Yeah.’”
Those players included rookies Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle.
