For years, some NBA fans, pundits, and even players have wondered whether Steve Nash was the true MVP the two times he won the award.
He was, undoubtedly, the best player in one of the best teams in the league, so he’s got a valid argument right there. Then again, his numbers were far from impressive, especially when compared to Shaquille O’Neals.
That’s why Shaq has refused to let go of that. He’s repeatedly stated that he was snubbed of – at least – one MVP because of Nash, going as far as to ask if he was a ‘Sympathy MVP’.
A couple of years ago, Shaq discussed this matter during an Open Court episode featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Chris Webber, and Reggie Miller.
When asked about whether Nash was one of the best point guards to ever do it, Miller was pretty succinct, stating that he wasn’t even better than Jason Kidd or Gary Payton:
“If we were all GMs, and you had Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, and Steve Nash all lined up, he (Nash) would be the third point guard taken. That’s why I can’t put him up there,” Miller said.
Well, I think we can all agree that no one can take anything away from a player like Steve Nash. He was a revolutionary point guard, the best playmaker in the league, and one of the most efficient scorers of all time.
Obviously, he’s the only player on that list not to win an NBA Championship and he wasn’t nearly half the defender both Kidd or Payton were, so maybe you can give Miller that.
At the end of the day, I believe that in that hypothetical case scenario, you couldn’t go wrong as a GM. Whoever you choose would be a franchise cornerstone, as they proved throughout their careers.
Note: Swipe right to watch Miller talking about Nash
