Lakers react to Steve Nash’s Facebook post on back injury

Although Steve Nash was not at Lakers practice, his Facebook post was the topic of conversation as Byron Scott addressed the post with the media.

Scott read the post moments before speaking and found it sincere and as he agreed with Nash’s assessment on the difference between swinging a golf club versus defending NBA players, he believed Nash was beginning to admit that his playing days may be over.

“It’s given me insight on where he’s leaning towards,” Scott said, “He probably feels he did everything in his power in the last two years to get in unbelievable condition and put himself in a position where he felt he could compete again. But as we went on through training camp, the more he played, the worse it got.”

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Jeremy Lin suffers sprained ankle in practice

It seems like the Lakers’ injury woes continued to get worse as Jeremy Lin suffered a sprained left ankle during practice and will be re-evaluated for tomorrow’s game against Golden State.

Lakers coach Byron Scott said Lin suffered the injury during 5-on-5 workouts after being stepped on by Robert Sacre. He was able to walk off the court on his own power but was in pain.

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NBA Draft: Tyler Ennis believes Steve Nash won’t give up on recovery

Anytime he needed an encouraging word or an attentive ear, Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis reached out to Lakers guard Steve Nash.

That relationship stems from Nash serving as the general manager of the Canadian’s national basketball team. Ennis, who grew up Ontario, leaned on first-hand experience to express confidence Nash will successfully heal nerve issues in his back that kept him out last season for all but 15 games.

“I know he’s working hard,” Ennis said. “I know he’s not going to give up until he can’t go anywhere. That’s all you can ask for. If he’s out there, you’re going to have one of the best point guards that ever played.”

Incidentally, Nash was at the Lakers’ practice facility on Wednesday to watch some of the pre-draft workouts. There, Nash and Ennis caught up, but the conversation had nothing to do with Nash’s recovery or the even the Lakers.

“It was more about him mentoring me in college and helping me transition to the NBA workouts,” Ennis said. “In college, he talked to me a lot. He would watch my games and see things I could improve on and tell me about it. He would talk about sticking to my routine, working out and getting my body right.”

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com

Steve Nash to narrate NBA TV’s documentary on 1984 NBA Draft

Steve Nash talks about the disappointing season and his future following his Lakers exit interview at their training facility in El Segundo, CA on Thursday, April 17, 2014. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze)

Steve Nash talks about the disappointing season and his future following his Lakers exit interview at their training facility in El Segundo, CA on Thursday, April 17, 2014. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze)

After orchestrating so many dazzling plays on the court, Lakers guard Steve Nash will soon perform something that does not involve running the pick-and-roll. Nash will narrate the NBA TV’s upcoming documentary on the 1984 NBA Draft titled “The84Draft” during its airing on Monday, June 9 at 9 p.m. ET.

Nash will host certain segments of the program, providing insight on his own talented 1996 draft class and perspective on some of the idols from the 84 class that he idolized, including Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and John Stockton.

It will be interesting to hear what Nash has to say about Jordan after once sharing on the Dan Patrick Show that as a rookie he once asked Jordan to for his shoes mere hours the former Chicago Bulls star Nash up during a game. Nash would also have a unique take on Stockton, who remains the NBA’s all-time assists leader with 15,806. Nash rests in third place with 10,335 assists.

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com

Tyler Ennis gushes about possibly teaming with Steve Nash on Lakers

teve Nash talks about the disappointing season and his future following his Lakers exit interview at their training facility in El Segundo, CA on Thursday, April 17, 2014. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze)

teve Nash talks about the disappointing season and his future following his Lakers exit interview at their training facility in El Segundo, CA on Thursday, April 17, 2014. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze)

CHICAGO — Upon hearing Steve Nash’s name mentioned, Tyler Ennis’ eyes lit up.

As with any point guard hoping to make his mark in the NBA, Ennis has admired Nash’s crafty playmaking that ensured a future Hall of Fame nod, two MVP awards and a fourth-place standing on the league’s all-time assists list. But Ennis’ affection for Nash goes beyond his skillset.

After starring at Syracuse through one season, Ennis credited Nash’ role as the general manager of the Canadian men’s basketball team spurring his growth. Hence, why Ennis gushed about the Lakers possibly drafting him.

“Nash is definitely one of the best point guards who played the game and he’s one of my favorite players,” Ennis said. “To go to a team and learn from him would be amazing for my career.”
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Sports Spectacular to honor Steve Nash

Steve Nash talks about the disappointing season and his future following his Lakers exit interview at their training facility in El Segundo, CA on Thursday, April 17, 2014. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze)

Steve Nash talks about the disappointing season and his future following his Lakers exit interview at their training facility in El Segundo, CA on Thursday, April 17, 2014. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze)

This will hardly match the two NBA MVP awards. Or the third place standing on the NBA’s all-time assists list. But in a season in which Steve Nash seemingly compiled more medical updates than dazzling passes, here is a rare feel-good moment.

Sports Spectacular will honor Nash for the Spirit Award on May 18th at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel, an award that highlights Nash’s various philanthropic efforts.

Nash will receive his award alongside Tony Gonzalez, who will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and UFC President Dana White, who will be presented with the Visionary Award for changing the landscape of sports.

Nash has self-named youth camps and fitness centers all over Canada. Jenny Miller, the executive director of Nash’s foundation, said he pays the entire $120,000 operating budget so entire donations go toward underserved children. One of those initiatives titled BC Grants has raised $800,000 for kids in his hometown province of British Columbia.

The various contributions earned him the Order of Canada in 2007, the country’s highest civilian honor. A year later, Nash received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. And now, he will collect a Spirit Award after showing that despite an otherwise depressing season.

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com

Donald Sterling scandal: Steve Nash, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among Lakers’ supporters at L.A. City Hall

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks during a press conference at Los Angeles city hall regarding NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's banning of Donald Sterling for life from any association with the Clippers or the NBA April 29, 2014.(Andy Holzman/Los Angeles Daily News)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks during a press conference at Los Angeles city hall regarding NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s banning of Donald Sterling for life from any association with the Clippers or the NBA April 29, 2014.(Andy Holzman/Los Angeles Daily News)

Something about the Clippers sparked an emotional chord with the Lakers.

This did not involve outrage over the Clippers displaying posters that covered up the Lakers’ championship banners and retired jerseys. This did not entail the Lakers expressing resentment over the Clippers’ superior success. This focused on the reaction surrounding Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racially denigrating comments on an audio tape.

Former Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, forward A.C. Green, current guard Steve Nash and former forward Luke Walton represented a handful of both former and current NBA players going to L.A. City Hall on Tuesday to express their support for NBA commissioner Adam Silver punishing Sterling with a life-time ban.

“When you get this many Lakers to stand up for the Clippers,” Mayor Eric Garcetti quipped, “you know something big is happening in L.A.”
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Dirk Nowitzki tells Steve Nash he’s skeptical he’d return if he had similar injury

The reminiscing suddenly ended. So did Steve Nash’s effusive praise for former Mavericks teammate Dirk Nowtizki winning his first NBA championship in 2011. So did their hypothetical scenarios on what would have happened if Nash re-signed to stay with the Mavericks in 2004 instead of joining the Phoenix Suns.

Instead, Nash asked Nowitzki about something that has become a season-long frustration for the Lakers guard. With Nash playing only 21 games because of nerve root irritation in his back, asked his one of his best friends something that made him initially uncomfortable?

“What would you do if you were me?” Nash asked in the latest Grantland series chronicling his recovery. “Would you come back?”

Nowtizki laughed, but that just camouflaged both his surprise at the question and the awkward feeling over processing something so sensitive.

“That’s a tough question,” Nowitzki said before trailing off.

“As an outsider and as a friend,” Nash said, “what would you do if you were me?”

Nowtizki then revealed something that strikes both at the chord surrounding Nash’s never-ending struggles and how that’s just reinforced his uncompromising determination in overcoming it.

“I’m not sure bro. I mean I’m honest,” Nowtizki said. “With what you’re going through and all the treatments, being in and out, I don’t know if I could do all the rehab, knowing it doesn’t really get better and then play one game and it gets worse again. I don’t know if I could do it.”


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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com

Mark Jackson wishes Steve Nash surpassed his assists during Lakers-Warriors game

Lakers#10 Steve Nash gets a high five from Lakers#20 Jodie Meeks after making his 4th assist on the night. The Houston Rockets traveled to Los Angeles to play the Lakers in a regular season game at Staples Center. Los Angeles, CA. April 8, 2014 (Photo by John McCoy / Los Angeles Daily News)

Lakers#10 Steve Nash gets a high five from Lakers#20 Jodie Meeks after making his 4th assist on the night. The Houston Rockets traveled to Los Angeles to play the Lakers in a regular season game at Staples Center. Los Angeles, CA. April 8, 2014 (Photo by John McCoy / Los Angeles Daily News)

With each pass pushing Steve Nash past him atop the NBA’s all-time assist ranking, Golden State Warriors Mark Jackson hardly uttered the words that turned into a memorable catchphrase during his ESPN broadcasting gig.

Jackson resisted yelling “hand down, man down” on the television screen each time Nash made a play. Instead, the Warriors coach actively rooted for Nash to replace him at the No. 3 spot in the Lakers’ loss Tuesday to the Houston Rockets at Staples Center.

“I respect his greatness and it was good to see,” Jackson said Wednesday in an interview with this newspaper. “There was no side of me pulling against him. At any point, my day will come and go and whatever I accomplished will fade away.”

Still, Jackson conceded he wished Nash would have broken his record when the Lakers (25-53) host the Golden State Warriors (48-29) Friday at Staples Center.

“I would’ve blown a timeout and congratulated him,” said Jackson, who ranks fourth overall with 10,334 assists. “In an ideal world, Steve would have done this the same time we were on the floor. I would be sitting, watching and appreciating it all.”
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Steve Nash says Mike D’Antoni wants him to return to move up on assists list

Steve Nash holds a theory on why he will play when the Lakers (25-51) host the Houston Rockets (51-25) at Staples Center.

Sure, Nash loves the game. The Lakers are in dire need of bodies considering Kent Bazemore’s season-ending right foot injury leaves them with an eight-man rotation. Even if the Lakers have no chance of making the playoffs, Nash wants to use the five remaining games as “a barometer” in what his offseason work will entail in healing the nerve irritation in his back.

But there’s another reason why Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni changed his decision to play Nash despite Jordan Farmar returning tonight after missing the past 11 games because of a strained right groin. Nash remains five assists away from climbing up to third place on the NBA’s all-time list.

“Mike really wants me to get this assist thing out of the way,” Nash said. “Now I would really like to get it out of the way frankly. It’s out there in the air and everybody is talking about it in a way.”
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