Steve Nash on his offseason plans, summer vacations and going nose-to-nose against Manu Ginobili
| Having played both soccer and hockey growing up, two sports where blood on the field is commonplace, would you say you shed more blood playing basketball or the other sports? |
I would guess hockey has the most bloody injuries. I didn’t really bleed when I played hockey, because we wore helmets with facemasks, but I’m sure I bled a few times in soccer, and I’ve bled my fair share in basketball. My friends always see basketball players rolling around like they got shot by a sniper and think we’re a bunch of softies out there, so I have to stick up for our game. |
| Do you think you wore your nose bandage better than Manu Ginobili? |
No. Manu’s was great. He seemed very solid in his. Mine looked more like a prosthetic nose. |
| What’s on your agenda this summer when you come to NYC? |
I’m going to host my charity soccer game again. We have some of the top soccer players from some of the top clubs in the world, we have some NBA All-Stars. We usually have 4,000 or 5,000 people show up to a little chain-link-fenced soccer field right in the city. It’s really cool.
Other than that, just working out, playing with my girls and enjoying the city. I love the energy, the people, the restaurants, the shows; New York has everything, diversity. You can walk out your front door and the whole world is there. |
| Are you going to the World Cup in South Africa? Who are you rooting for? |
Possibly. We’ll see. I’m not sure yet. It depends on what happens with our season. I’ll be rooting for England. My parents are from Britain, my dad is English, so I’ve been watching them and supporting them since I was a kid. You always feel an affinity for your roots. |
| What movie making plans do you have this summer? |
We’re going to make a documentary on Pelé with Bill Guttentag, who is an Academy Award winner. I’m really excited about that. It’s a story that I feel is screaming to be told to the world. We’re not sure yet, but we’re possibly filming in South Africa or Brazil. |
| What was your best and worst vacation as a kid? |
I don’t remember having any real bad ones, but we drove down to California once. My mom worked for the airlines for a while, so we got to always go back to England and see our cousins. We were lucky, we got to travel quite a bit. So I was definitely familiar with traveling and it always felt easy, and I enjoy it. |
| What is the Steve Nash Team? (your four all-time favorite four NBA teammates) |
I can’t do it. I would slight somebody that deserves better, so I can’t do it. |
STRAIGHT SHOOTER
