Shai Gilgeous-Alexander praises ex-Mavericks star ahead of NBA Finals

Steve Nash had a massive impact on Canadian basketball and, in turn, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's career.

Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) smiles after scoring a basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The NBA Finals are set to tip off between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. A year ago, the Dallas Mavericks were in this same position, but bad trades and injuries kept the team from even making the playoffs this year.

Instead, Mavericks fans will have to be forced to watch their I-35 rival Thunder potentially win a championship. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home the MVP this year after finishing ahead of Luka Doncic in MVP voting last year, which doesn't help the rivalry between fans.

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Oct 14, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash looks on during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

However, Gilgeous-Alexander wants to win this title for Steve Nash, who played for the Mavericks from 1998 to 2004. Nash was born in South Africa but his family moved to Canada when he was 18 months old. His impact on basketball was big for a lot of Canadians, including SGA.

"It would be amazing [to win the championship],” SGA said. “Steve, obviously, [he's] the pioneer for Canadian basketball. He started the whole thing, I guess you can say.

"From the way he plays, to the way he carries himself, to his approach to the game. I learned so much from Steve being a 17-year-old kid. ... The things he's done with Canada basketball and just push the culture forward, it's been amazing."

SGA talks @SteveNash's impact on his career 🙌🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/VeskRVSPea

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 4, 2025

A lot of people credit Vince Carter as the one who put Canadian basketball on the map with the Toronto Raptors, but he was an American who tried incredibly hard to get out of Toronto. Nash was one of the first Canadian-native stars that Canadians could latch onto, and Nash had a successful career, winning two MVP awards with the Phoenix Suns.

It's also a lot easier to play like Nash than Carter, as Nash saw and thought the game a different way whereas Carter was an athletic freak.

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