Steve Nash would be hurt most by lockout

While nobody wants it to happen, most people expect the NBA’s lockout to drag on for a while.

And, while many will be affected off the court, certain players will probably find it tougher to deal with the time off.

According to ESPN, Steve Nash is one such player.

One has to wonder whether Nash, the guy who spends every benched moment maniacally stretching on the sideline, looks at the lockout and says, “I’m too old for this.” He doesn’t stretch for the fun of it. The 37-year-old suffers from a back condition called spondylolisthesis, which means he has a loose vertebra in his spine. The back pain won’t get any easier for the two-time MVP nearing age 40.

It’s a fair point. Nash dealt with injury for pretty much the first time as a Sun last year, and combine that with the team’s on-court struggles to compete and he may wonder if it’s even worth doing what it takes to continue to play at a high level.

For a guy with an intense desire to win, knowing that the Suns aren’t a contender may have him reconsider whether or not he wants to play in Phoenix. Add a lockout to that equation and he may wonder if he wants to play at all.

Then again, the guy has proven to be as loyal as he is effective, and the chances of him walking away from the final year of his deal are very slim.

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