Jason Kidd came back. Tyson Chandler came back. J.J. Barea is back. Devin Harris is back. And, after reading an ESPN article today about another Mavs’ flirtation with a blast from the past, Derek Harper should probably get his butt in shape.
Just in case.
Because earlier this summer the Mavs, desperate for veteran depth at point guard in the wake of losing Rajon Rondo, reached out to none other than … Steve Nash.
Nash, of course, played for the Mavs from 1998-2004 and, alongside good friend Dirk Nowitzki, took them to the brink of the NBA Finals before succumbing to the San Antonio Spurs. With him pushing the pace with Nowitzki and Michael Finley in Don Nelson's offense, the early-2000s Mavs were some of the most entertaining in franchise history.
Allowed to leave to Phoenix in free agency, Nash flourished into a two-time MVP and one of the best passers in league history.
But at 41, and having had announced his retirement in March, Nash refuted the Mavs’ overtures while he was in town in June to play in Nowitzki’s celebrity charity baseball game.
For pure nostalgia, it would’ve been great to see Nash back in a Mavs’ uniform. But more so it would’ve been sad. He left just before his peak, and the Nash of now – besieged by age and a bad back – would’ve been merely a shadow of his former self. While the Mavs are left with a point-guard stable of Deron Williams, Barea, Harris and Raymond Felton, Nash is instead is talking to the Warriors about a consultant’s role and being the executive producer of a movie about the Ecstasy-fueled ‘80s Dallas night club, Starck.
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Yet another good decision for the Hall of Fame point guard.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
