Steve Nash

“I hope my kids learn to put themselves first.”

“Sometimes I'm very impatient. I also feel the need to please everyone, which is unnecessary and impossible.”

“Nothing is black-and-white, except for winning and losing, and maybe that's why people gravitate to that so much.”

“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 a leader.”

“I've always wanted to shoot a good percentage for my team, because I'm the point guard, and I can take fewer shots, still score more, so that I can get my teammates feeling good about themselves. That was always my feeling - that if I shoot a high percentage, I don't have to shoot a ton.”

“We've been playing ugly. Without all of our bodies, we've been kicking it all over the shop, but fortunately we've been able to make the big buckets and rely on our defense for once.”

“I usually settle into a routine during the season where I shoot for about 15 or 20 minutes before and after practice, and then do the whole practice.”

“There are so many different ways to 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 in and day out and believe in your motives and they believe that you set a high standard for yourself.”

“Play because it's fun, and not to become a pro. If your goal is to become pro, the best way to realize that is by loving what you do.”

“I have to say I've worked very few days of my life. I used to have to cut the lawn, and when I was in junior high school, I worked at a concession stand at a stadium.”

“The playoffs are the playoffs. You just play who is put in front of you.”

“I had role models in my community, guys that were older than me and played at university or on the national team. Eli Pasquale was always around UVic when I was a young player, and the national team was around Victoria a little bit, so I got to watch those guys and learn from them.”

“People have always doubted whether I was good enough to play this game at this level. I thought I was, and I thought I could be. What other people thought was really always irrelevant to me.”

“I've spent half my life in gyms, if not more, and I love physical fitness and health; couple that with the fact that I love for people to be healthy, whether it's mentally, physically, or emotionally, and it's just a great opportunity for me to do something I love and have an impact on people's health.”

“The NBA has the best point guards in the world, so it is important that I come ready to play every night.”

“I'm really passionate about things I enjoy, and I like to be out there doing things, and learning and challenging myself. So it's just more fun that way, just to get out and try and do and learn and meet people and try to do something new.”

“I think you can get too focused on the championship and forget how rewarding it is to be part of a team.”

“You should be able to voice your opinion and respect the voice of the other side. You should be willing to educate yourself and know what it is you're dealing with.”

“You know, once you have been through a certain amount of things in life, you definitely grow more comfortable with yourself.”

“I've always loved kids, but to have your own little munchkins is unlike anything else. It's the greatest form of love; it's challenging and scary, but so rewarding and exciting.”