Steve Nash

“Basketball isn't as popular in Canada as it is in the US. Hockey is by far the most popular sport in Canada.”

“The fans in Dallas were hard on me my first year, but after having a great year last year they are now supporting me. It feels great to have my hard work pay off, especially when the fans made it hard for me.”

“I know that to be a good player, you have to stay healthy, and you have to be as athletic as you can possibly be.”

“I am a huge believer in giving back and helping out in the community and the world. Think globally, act locally I suppose. I believe that the measure of a person's life is the affect they have on others.”

“My best move is probably my pull up jump shot.”

“The crowd gives us so much energy and we are able to really feed off of it. Hitting those shots and having the crowd go crazy helps boost our confidence. We love our fans.”

“What happened in the past is just that, the past. Champion or not.”

“My father was a soccer player. All my friends played basketball though, so I stuck with basketball.”

“My free time at home is usually spent emailing, listening to music, reading and talking on the phone. I wish I was on the phone less, but I have been fortunate to stay in touch with so many incredible friends.”

“My ideal day would be to get a good work out in, listen to music, talk to my family and friends on the phone, read and go to a good movie.”

“In the preseason, in the month of October, I work out almost every day, lifting weights for 20 or 30 minutes, and then during the season I usually lift weights twice a week, sometimes a little more.”

“I have definitely gone through my ups and downs and faced my adversity and my nay-sayers, but managed to do all right. It is a pretty classic tale.”

“I want my kids to have passion for life, to really have a passion for life. I think when you have a passion for something, you can overcome obstacles, if you float through life without having anything to hold on to or get you fired up emotionally and to focus on, I think it's really hard to overcome things.”

“The person who's had the biggest impact on my career is Rick Celebrini, the physiotherapist.”

“It's a strange one - I've been away for 20 years now; I've been away longer than I lived in Canada, but for some reason I remain wholly Canadian.”

“We were excited to win, staying undefeated is just the icing.”

“Leadership is possible in all different ways, and in all different areas of life. 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 used to collect hockey cards. It was like Vegas at my school. You'd go to school with your box of cards, and at recess and lunchtime there were all these games we'd play.”

“I realize that although I'd like to make films as a career after I'm done playing, I really love basketball; I really love my career, an opportunity to compete every day and to push myself physically, mentally and emotionally.”

“My best memories are because I was on teams I love - even going back to being a kid. Not just in the NBA.”