Jeff Lenchiner, editor of InsideHoops.com
Special to Suns.com
Posted: June 25, 2009
Prior to the second edition of his “Showdown in Chinatown” soccer game in downtown Manhattan, NY, on Tuesday, Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash spoke with reporters about the charity game, his foundation and more:
Question: What would you like to see from your fellow NBA players out here on the soccer field today?
Steve Nash: Show us something. Show us that they're not afraid to take these guys on. But obviously it's going to be a lot of fun.
Question: Can you talk about the soccer fans who came out today, as well as your co-ownership of the MLS team in Vancouver?
Nash: I think there's millions and millions of soccer fans here, they just might not be MLS fans yet. We're hopeful that we'll slowly convert those people into MLS fans, as the level grows, as more of our kids become world-class players. It's exciting. It's an exciting time. MLS is setting a good foundation, and I think it's slowly getting to a place where we're converting fans all the time.
Question: What are the goals of the Steve Nash Foundation for which events like this benefit?
Nash: We work for children; underserved kids, from newborns to high school students. We just want to provide opportunities for causes that mean a lot to us. We're fairly random in what we gravitate towards, but we want to help people with healthcare, an education. All sorts of different ways that we can help kids that are underserved, to improve their quality of life. We feel great about it. We've been able do a lot.
Question: How are you expecting your fellow NBA stars to perform today?
Nash: They're going to do great. I'm confident.
Question: Can you talk about your Foundation’s international efforts and what they’re looking to do overseas?
Steve Nash: My foundation is building a youth center for sport culture and reconciliation in Uganda, that's like a sister opportunity to Football For Good, which is an entity, a social business, non-profit that I've developed to build European-style, European quality soccer academies for kids in war-affected zones. We're going to give them an opportunity to train like a talented kid in Europe would, to see if they can become a professional soccer player but also educate them, teach them the charisteristic taste of being a pro, shelter them from violence, give them health care. There's a lot of things that the program provides the community that will have riple effects for years.
Question: Besides the guys that are here today, who are some of your favorite soccer players out there right now?
Nash: I think my favorite player is [Andres] Iniesta. He plays in Barcelona. But obviously I'm a soccer fan so I love all those guys. I love Steven Gerrard. A lot of Brazilians and Argentinians. I appreciate a lot of guys.
Question: What do you think of playing in this small, cozy park instead of a larger venue?
Nash: The goal of this is to do something where the people can reach out and touch and see their heroes, and create an atmosphere that's special, not like any other charitable event.
Question: Can you talk about this atmosphere in terms of kids literally being able to run up to players and talk with them?
Nash: That's the goal. To make a unique event where the atmosphere is special because the fans, the players are interacting.