Steve Nash On The Qualities Of A Natural Leader

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At 38 years old, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash has far fromlost his passion for the game -- or for the pursuit of a championship ring. He’sknown for his fast drives to the basket while zigzagging through the towering bodies ofthe best in the league, and for making quick passes with flair. As one of the preeminentpoint guards and class acts in the league, he's one player whose name will never beassociated with the words “selfish” and “arrogant.With the playoffs just around the corner, we asked Nash aboutwhat excites him about the postseason, being comfortable in his own skin and what hestands for -- on and off the court.There hasbeen talk about you leaving Phoenix to give yourself a real shot at a championship, butthat was in the earlier part of the season. Now that you are very much in playoffcontention, did you have any doubts?Our franchisemade it known to me that we were an organization in transition before season tradedeadline. I think that we started in a position where we had somewhat realisticexpectations that this summer they wanted to make some moves to be a contender. But in themeantime we were going to have to do the best we could, so I feel like we worked reallyhard, the coaches have done a phenomenal job and we find ourselves in a position where wecould scrape into the playoffs. I think that everyone feels proud of our accomplishmentsthus far, because we are in a good position, but we definitely have the ambition to go onand find ourselves in the playoffs. As a longtime point guard, you’ve been praised as a leader on thecourt. Is this a role you have always been comfortable with? Yeah, I try to go with the flow, and I feel pretty comfortable withwho I am. I feel courageous enough to go outside myself and try something new, likeeverything in life. [Being a leader] feels natural to me. Especially in this stage of mycareer, but even when I was younger, it felt natural to lead, and to try not only toorganize the team and put them in the right place, but to also encourage and to know whereguys were mentally.What qualities do you thinkmake a good leader?There are so many different waysto lead. The most important thing is to be genuine. To have people around you trust you,trust in what you stand for and who you are. And I think that if people watch you day inand day out and believe in your motives and they believe that you set a high standard foryourself.Does this carry into your life offthe court? Yeah, I think it is the same inlife… Leadership is possible in all different ways, and in all different areas oflife. Whether it is with friends or family, I expect them to set a great example for me,and hopefully I will do the same for them. And that is all part of being aleader.If I were to ask your kids how theywould describe you, what do you think they would say?My kids are still young. My daughters are 7 ½, but it would beinteresting to hear what they would say. I think “funny.” We spend a lot oftime laughing.How about"cool"?[Laughs] They do, actually. The other day I was jokingwith them and asked them ‘Who is the best dancer that you know?" And they said Iwas. Continue Reading

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