Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash Cracks Sporting News Mount Rushmore for the Valley
Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash has always been legendary.
Nash's overall tenure in the Valley brought the Suns to new heights on and off the basketball court, as his play reinvigorated a basketball town with energy and helped inspire a generation of kids across the country.
In all of theoretical sports talk, one question usually triggers debate in countless homes, bars and stadiums: who would be on your Mount Rushmore for (insert topic)?
The city of Phoenix has seen some iconic faces come and go on the sports scene, and while this question will forever continue to rage on until we get our own version of the monument (I heard there's space in Westgate during hockey season now), Sporting News gave their best crack at it in their 13 city series.
Sporting News' Criteria
"The SN Rushmore project named four pro athletes from the 13 cities that have had at least four of the following five leagues represented for at least 20 years – NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA. While there were no hard-and-fast rules pertaining to the athletes selected, our panel of experts considered individual resumes, team success and legacy within the sports landscape of each city. Multiple players from the same franchise were allowed, and not every franchise needed to be represented. All sports fans have an opinion on this topic. This is ours."
Sporting News left out Arizona Coyotes icon Shane Doan, but conceded that there was an asterisk with his omission.
The Phoenix Mount Rushmore Faces
Not a tremendous amount of surprise was allotted for fans when SN compiled their top four athletes.
Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald cracked the list, as he is cherished not only in the city of Phoenix but throughout the entire league for his contributions to the game but for also being a stand-up guy.
Phoenix Mercury staple Diana Taurasi is highly regarded as one of the best WNBA players of all time, no questions asked. Her abilities have helped the league rise in both prominence and competition over the years.
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson was a breathtaking presence on the mound, one that helped bring a championship to a town that still covets that feeling last experienced in 2001.
And finally, you have Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash.
Steve Nash Lands on Phoenix Mount Rushmore
Here's an excerpt explaining Nash's impact:
"Steve Nash had two stints in Phoenix as a point guard for the Suns. The second one, folks, is why he’s here. But you probably already knew that.
"In that first stretch of desert basketball, Nash averaged 16.7 minutes and 6.4 points per game in the first two years after the Suns took him with the 15th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. Then he was traded to Dallas. He became an All-Star point guard with the Mavericks, but nobody was quite prepared to see what he would accomplish when he returned to the Valley as a free agent for the 2004-05 season.
"Turns out, he was the perfect piece of the puzzle for the Suns. They had a new head coach in Mike D’Antoni who wanted to push the tempo every possession, and they had a bunch of guys — Amar’e Stoudamire, Joe Jackson, Shawn Marion and Quentin Richardson atop that list — who could score at will. They just needed someone to get them the basketball.
"Nash obliterated his previous career high in assists per game (8.8) with a league-leading total of 11.5 per game, and the Suns went from 29 wins the previous season to 62 in Nash’s return, matching the best mark in franchise history. Phoenix averaged 110.4 points per game; the Kings were second at 103.7. His impact was so undeniable that he was voted the league’s MVP, despite averaging just 15.5 points per game. Only two players in NBA history have ever won an MVP award with a lower scoring average — Bill Russell (14.1 in 1964-64) and Wes Unseld (13.8 in 1968-69)."
Some have vouched for Barkley to be on here rather than Nash, but most of the outcry on social media belonged to the withholding of Doan, which was covered in the article.
When only choosing one player to represent the Suns, pitting Nash against Barkley is tough. However, it's hard to ignore the resume Nash pieced together during his time in Phoenix and the overall impact he had for the city.
Thank you for making Inside The Suns your destination for Phoenix Suns news. Please be sure to give us a like on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube and follow us on Twitter @InsideTheSunsSI for news, updates, analysis and more!
Top Phoenix Suns News
Josh Okogie Poised for Strong 2022-23 Season
Jae Crowder Tweets Cryptic Message
Former Suns Guard Mike James Tells Revealing KD Story
Phoenix Suns Guard Devin Booker Tops SG Rankings
