Steve Nash’s career with the Phoenix Suns: By the Numbers
Mar 21, 2015, 8:22 PM | Updated: 9:30 pm
Few Phoenix Suns fans who were around in the 2000s will ever forget the sight of their floppy-haired phenom point guard busting his hump up and down the court.
Steve Nash was a special player for Phoenix. His catalytic ability to kick-start an offense helped the Suns gain national notoriety as the biggest pace-pushers in the league under Mike D’Antoni, and his zen at the free-throw line was remarkable.
The former point guard announced his retirement from the NBA Saturday after 19 years and three teams in a heartfelt letter published to The Players Tribune.
The basketball world will miss him.
And while most Suns fans will remember Nash by image — 6-foot-3, jog-skipping backwards down the court after hitting a three, pushing his hair out of his eyes — his stats are what will seal him in Phoenix’s history.
Here’s a look at Nash’s career in Phoenix, by the numbers:
1996
Nash was the 15th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, going to the Suns in the first round.
2 (part I)
Nash started just two games (famed Suns point guard Kevin Johnson was the starter in 1996) in his first year and played 684 minutes, but had 213 points with 138 assists and 20 steals.
1998
After getting traded to Dallas in 1998, Nash stayed there for six seasons, scoring 5,937 points in 408 games.
10
Once the Suns got him back in 2004, Nash spent 10 seasons in Phoenix.
He scored 10,712 points with 6,997 assists and 511 steals as a Sun.
Those assists helped Nash retire with 10,335, the third-highest of all time.
50.4
Nash shot 50.4 percent from the field during his time with the Suns.
43.5
As one of the best 3-point shooters in Suns history, Nash hit 43.5 percent of his attempts behind the arc.
90.7
Nash also shot 90.7 percent from the free throw line with the Suns.
His career 90.4 percent shooting from the line is the highest in league history.
2 (part II)
In his back-to-back MVP years (2004-05, 2005-06), Nash averaged the ever-coveted 50-40-90 with 50.7 percent shooting from the field, 43.5 percent shooting from three and 90.4 percent shooting from the line.
1
At 6-foot-3, Nash is the only player under 6-foot-6 to win multiple MVP awards, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
7
Nash helped the Suns to the playoffs seven times in his 10 years and the Western Conference Finals three times.
6
As the face of the Suns, Nash was named an NBA All-Star selection six times.
