Rumor: Steve Nash Considering Retirement over Pain

Steve Nash is in a lot of pain. So much pain that he's been forced to consider retiring from the NBA.

According to Peter Vecsey, formerly of the New York Post, Nash is contemplating whether or not to call it a career:



Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles, however, says that Nash is working diligently with his trainer and is "absolutely trying" to come back:



Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News spoke to a source who also debunked the notion that Nash would retire.



Nerve damage in his back has limited the point guard to just six games this season. The pain became so severe that he sat out the second half of a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. That was the last time he played.

Afterward, an emotional Nash expressed frustration over his current health situation, per the Los Angeles Times' Melissa Rohlin:

I hesitate to even talk about it now because it's probably not a good time, I'm feeling a little emotional, but it's hard. I really want to play and I really want to play the way I'm accustomed to playing, and to be so limited is frustrating. And also to not know where a clean-ish bill of health is is a little daunting too.

...

I'm trying to play through it, but at the same time be smart and overcome what I can. But it's taken a bit of a turn for the worse, and I'm just going to see the [doctor] tomorrow and see what he advises.

Before joining the Los Angeles Lakers, Nash was the standard for durability. He had missed more than 10 games just three times in 16 seasons and had never been absent for more than 26. But in his only season with the Lakers, he missed a career-high 32 contests.

Still searching for his first championship, you have to imagine the two-time MVP must be in unbearable pain for him to consider walking away. Pushing 40, retirement must have been in the b...

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