Steve Nash was traded to Dallas from Phoenix in 1998 and became one of the best point guards in NBA history, so owner Mark Cuban has some regrets about letting him go.
Nash built a formidable trio with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley that helped the Mavs get back into the playoff picture after a decade’s long drought.
The guard left Dallas in 2004 to rejoin the Suns and to this day, it is Cuban’s biggest regret as the owner of the Mavs.
“I still got the pad when Steve called me for that last chance,” Cuban said on The Draymond Green Show. “I wrote down ‘Mike Bibby money,’ which is what he wanted and the max at the time. It was more that Steve only played 28-29 minutes per game that season, and we were worried about the injuries.
“It wasn’t any disrespect to his game, and honestly, that propelled Steve. The fact that we let him go, two-time MVP, great guy, we’re friends again. A mistake, the biggest mistake I ever made with the Mavs.”
The Canadian native returned to the Suns and totally turned the franchise around with his passing game and style of play, which saw Phoenix get the league’s best record and Nash earn back-to-back MVP’s in 2005 and 2006.
During his chat with Cuban on his self-titled podcast, Green pointed out how Nash’s departure worked out well for everyone anyway, since Dirk went to another level after Nash left.
Nowitzki earned MVP honors himself in 2007 and spurred the Mavericks to their first NBA title in 20 years.
Nash ended his NBA career without a championship to his name, but was inducted into The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his individual accolades.
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