Ring of Honor

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Phoenix Suns

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns today announced that Suns legend Amar’e Stoudemire will be inducted into the Suns Ring of Honor on Saturday, March 2 when the Suns host the Houston Rockets. Immediately after the game, a commemorative ceremony to honor Stoudemire will take place at center court surrounded by Suns legends, former teammates and family to celebrate as Stoudemire receives the organization’s highest honor. &nbsp;

Stoudemire played 516 regular season games over eight seasons with the Suns from 2002-2010, averaging 21.4 points on 54.4% shooting, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. He ranks seventh in franchise history in points (11,035), fifth in scoring average (21.4), third in rebounds (4,613) and fifth in blocks (722). Nicknamed “S.T.A.T.,” Stoudemire was named All-NBA four times, including to the First Team in 2006-07, was a five-time All-Star selection and the 2002-03 NBA Rookie of the Year during his time with the Suns.

Stoudemire, No. 32, will have his uniform number officially retired on March 2 as a part of his induction to the reimagined Ring of Honor which will be unveiled during the Suns home opener on Oct. 28. Stoudemire will join Alvan Adams (33), Charles Barkley (34), Tom Chambers (24), Walter Davis (6), Connie Hawkins (42), Kevin Johnson (7), Dan Majerle (9), Steve Nash (13), Dick Van Arsdale (5), Paul Westphal (44) and Marion (31, who will be inducted on Dec. 15) as the Suns’ retired numbers.

Stoudemire will become the 17th Suns player inducted to the Ring of Honor, joining the eleven previously mentioned players as well as Jerry Colangelo, Cotton Fitzsimmons, John MacLeod, Al McCoy and Joe Proski.&nbsp;

Single-game tickets for all 2023-24 home games are on sale now and can be purchased at Suns.com/Tix.

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PHOENIX SUNS TO INDUCT AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE INTO SUNS RING OF HONOR DURING SPECIAL HALFTIME CEREMONY ON MARCH 2

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns today announced that Suns legend Shawn Marion will be inducted into the Suns Ring of Honor on Friday, Dec. 15, when the Suns host the New York Knicks. A special postgame ceremony honoring Marion will take place center court surrounded by Suns legends, former teammates and family to celebrate as Marion receives the organization’s highest honor. 

Marion played 660 regular season games over nine seasons with the Suns from 1999-2008, averaging 18.4 points on 48.1% shooting, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks. He ranks fifth in franchise history in points (12,134), second in rebounds (6,616), second in steals (1,245) and third in blocks (894).

Marion is the team’s all-time playoff leader with 706 postseason rebounds during his Suns career. Nicknamed “The Matrix,” he twice earned All-NBA honors and was a four-time All-Star selection while with the Suns.

Marion, No. 31, will have his uniform number officially retired on Dec. 15 as part of his induction to the reimagined Ring of Honor which will be unveiled during the Suns home opener on Oct. 28. Marion will join Alvan Adams (33), Charles Barkley (34), Tom Chambers (24), Walter Davis (6), Connie Hawkins (42), Kevin Johnson (7), Dan Majerle (9), Steve Nash (13), Dick Van Arsdale (5) and Paul Westphal (44) as the Suns’ retired numbers.

Marion will become the 16th Suns player inducted to the Ring of Honor, joining the ten previously mentioned players as well as Jerry Colangelo, Cotton Fitzsimmons, John MacLeod, Al McCoy and Joe Proski.&nbsp;

Suns legend Amar’e Stoudemire will also be inducted into the Ring of Honor this season. Details on his Ring of Honor night will be announced later this week.

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PHOENIX SUNS TO INDUCT SHAWN MARION INTO SUNS RING OF HONOR DURING SPECIAL POSTGAME CEREMONY ON DECEMBER 15

phxmyramirez

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns today announced plans to unveil permanent banners and murals as part of a reimagined Ring of Honor to celebrate the most prominent figures in team history who have made an enduring impact on the organization, community and fans. The new banners will be unveiled during a halftime ceremony as part of the team’s home opener on Saturday, Oct. 28.

“The members of the Ring of Honor played a central role in creating the organization’s storied history and it was important that we honor them in a way that will always be on display,” said Mat Ishbia, owner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. “These legends helped define the Suns and are integral members of our family, connecting all generations of our fans throughout the past 55 years. The permanent banners and murals will serve as a constant tribute to their contributions to the team’s history and how they paved the way for the next era of Suns basketball.”

The banners commemorating the members of the Ring of Honor will be suspended from the rafters above the west sideline of the seating bowl. The uniform number and last name will be featured on the banners of the player inductees, while non players will have their years of tenure and last name displayed.

The Suns have commissioned local artists to create murals that capture the brilliance that the Ring of Honor members exhibited to Suns fans. The murals will be displayed on the walls of the upper level throughout the CarMax Concourse.

The 15 current members of the Ring of Honor that will have banners and murals unveiled are Alvan Adams, Charles Barkley, Tom Chambers, Jerry Colangelo, Walter Davis, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Connie Hawkins, Kevin Johnson, John MacLeod, Dan Majerle, Al McCoy, Steve Nash, Joe Proski, Dick Van Arsdale and Paul Westphal. As previously announced, the team will add two more banners for Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire as part of their official inductions this season.

Ring of Honor members and Suns alumni, including Marion and Stoudemire, will be in attendance to help unveil the new Ring of Honor banners on Oct. 28. Plans to celebrate the Mercury’s reimagined Ring of Honor will be announced in advance of the 2024 WNBA season.

Single-game tickets for the Suns 2023-24 home opener are on sale now and can be purchased at Suns.com/Tix.

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PHOENIX SUNS TO UNVEIL PERMANENT BANNERS AND MURALS AS PART OF REIMAGINED RING OF HONOR DURING HOME OPENER ON OCTOBER 28

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns today announced that the team will induct legends Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire into the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor during the 2023-24 NBA season. Marion and Stoudemire will receive the franchise’s highest honor bestowed to individuals who have made an enduring impact on the organization, community and Suns fans. &nbsp;

“Shawn and Amar’e are two of the very best to ever wear a Phoenix Suns uniform,” said Mat Ishbia, owner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. “Shawn changed the game with his elite versatility and Amar’e was one of the most electrifying players the league has ever seen. Shawn and Amar’e helped define the Suns and inspired generations of fans, and our Suns family is incomplete without them in the Ring of Honor.

“As we embark on the new era of Suns basketball it is a priority that we remain connected to our storied history. We are excited to celebrate Shawn and Amar’e and properly recognize their incredible contributions and achievements.”

For their official induction into the Ring of Honor, Marion and Stoudemire will each have their own night of celebration at a Suns home game. The dates of the Ring of Honor ceremonies will be announced in the coming weeks.

“This is amazing to be recognized by the Suns family in this way,” said Marion. “The fans in Phoenix are one-of-a-kind and this city will always be a part of me. My time with the Suns was special and I am looking forward to being inducted into the Ring of Honor.”

Marion played 660 regular season games over nine seasons with the Suns from 1999-2008, averaging 18.4 points on 48.1% shooting, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks. He ranks fifth in franchise history in points (12,134), second in rebounds (6,616), second in steals (1,245) and third in blocks (894). Marion is the team’s all-time playoff leader with 706 postseason rebounds during his Suns career. Nicknamed “The Matrix,” he twice earned All-NBA honors and was a four-time All-Star selection while with the Suns.

“I bleed purple and orange, making this a tremendous honor to be inducted,” said Stoudemire. “My best and most transformative years came in Phoenix with the Suns. I have so much love for Suns fans and appreciation for the love they have always shown me. I am excited to reconnect with the fanbase in joining the Ring of Honor.”

Marion, No. 31, and Stoudemire, No. 32, will have their uniform numbers officially retired as part of their induction to the Ring of Honor, joining Alvan Adams (33), Charles Barkley (34), Tom Chambers (24), Walter Davis (6), Connie Hawkins (42), Kevin Johnson (7), Dan Majerle (9), Steve Nash (13), Dick Van Arsdale (5) and Paul Westphal (44) as the Suns’ retired numbers. Marion and Stoudemire will become the 16th and 17th Suns inducted to the Ring of Honor, joining the ten previously mentioned players as well as Jerry Colangelo, Cotton Fitzsimmons, John MacLeod, Al McCoy and Joe Proski. &nbsp;

As part of the new era of Suns basketball, the organization will unveil a reimagined Ring of Honor this season. Further details will be announced later this month.

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PHOENIX SUNS TO INDUCT SHAWN MARION AND AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE INTO RING OF HONOR

Sam Harvey

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Marion & Stoudemire

Jeramie McPeek

The recollections are a bit hazy. The memories a tad worn. But one thing everyone remembers is Steve and Martin Nash going after each other in the middle of a game.

The two brothers were skating down the ice. One had the puck, the other called for the pass. And called. And called. And called again. Suddenly the sticks hit the ice and the siblings skated right for each other, fists ablaze.

“The puck just kind of skidded down the ice to the goal keeper while they were having a row in the middle of the ice,” laughs John Nash, the boys’ father.

No one remembers who refused to pass or who started the fight. No one’s even quite sure what age they were at the time. John says Steven was probably in third or fourth grade. Maybe fifth. Whatever grade, he was two years older than Martin. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t the first or the last time their competition would turn to a scuffle, it was just the first time it happened during a real game.

“Everyday we would play some sort of sport or game and a lot of times the games would just end in fights, sometimes verbal, sometimes physical,” says Steve. “There were never any big brawls, he knew I was bigger than him, so he just went away.” Through the years, the two have become close, “As good I think, as a brother’s relationship can be,” Martin says. But now there are no more family feuds, for the two have gone their separate ways, sports wise. Martin is now a 20-year-old professional soccer player with the Vancouver 86ers and Steve is a 22-year-old rookie in the National Basketball Association, and the newest member of YOUR Phoenix Suns.

In the sixth grade, Steve Nash and his schoolmates were assigned to write a report entitled “Me.” The students were supposed to write about their lives and what they wanted to do with their futures.

Stephen, who played several sports in his hometown of Victoria, British Columbia, pinned a photo button of himself in a hockey uniform to the front of his report. Inside, he wrote about his sports and how he wanted to go to college one day on an athletic scholarship. And after that, he was going to be a professional athlete.

His childhood dreams were of little surprise to his parents though, after all, their first son had always loved sports. In fact, all three of their kids enjoyed participating in sports and still do. Joann, Steve’s 16-year-old little sister, is on her high school soccer and basketball teams.

“We’ve encouraged them [to play sports] from an early age. We felt it was a good way for them to meet people and develop their social skills as well as their sporting skills. Also it kept them off street corners. You know, kids idle hands are the devils playground. We intended that their hands never be idle.”

But as their mother Jean Nash admits, her children’s interest in sports may have grown from the seeds she and her husband planted in them when they were young. Steve, for example, was given a soccer ball for his first birthday.

“We’ve encouraged them from an early age,” John explains. “We felt it was a good way for them to meet people and develop their social skills as well as their sporting skills. Also it kept them off street corners. You know, kids idle hands are the devils playground. We intended that their hands never be idle.” Stephen John Nash was born on February 7, 1974 in Johannesburg, South Africa, where his father played semi-pro soccer. Soon after, the Nash’s, who were originally from England, decided to emigrate, for Jean didn’t want to raise her son in a country afflicted with apartheid.

The family ended up in Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan, Canada, where the winters were so freezing, they had to play baseball indoors with their 18-month-old son — using imaginary bats and balls of course. But as he got older, imaginary equipment wasn’t good enough, he wanted big boys’ toys.

“We’d go to the store when he was really little and I’d want to buy him Legos and Fischer Price and I’d say ‘Oh, let’s try and get this down the road. We’ll save up and get this,’ like a Fischer Price garage or farm or something and he’d say ‘No way,’” Jean recalls. “If it wasn’t a bat, a ball, a puck, a racket, something to do with sports, he always was like that. He’d be really happy if you’d go and buy him a 50 cent ball or a 10 cent ball, whatever, and that’s all he wanted.”

When John was offered a new job in the much warmer Vancouver, the Nash’s quickly packed up and moved, but soon after relocated again, this time to Victoria, a small city on the southeast tip of Vancouver Island, in the province of British Columbia. There, Steve’s parents signed him up to play soccer and tee ball at the age of five. In elementary school, he took up hockey, lacrosse and also chess, in which he won several championships. But in fourth grade, he decided to give up the game of checkmates after he made an opponent cry.

“When Stephen came home, he wasn’t worried about the winning or losing, he was upset that he’d beaten this kid and the kid had cried,” his dad says. “I don’t think he played after he made that kid cry. He’s very sensitive. I mean, it’s kind of unusual to find somebody who’s competitive and sensitive at the same time.”

What was perhaps even more unusual was the child’s determination to improve in his different sporting endeavors. Both his parents can tell story after story about how hard their son would practice. And practice. And practice some more.

There was the time John found the 10-year-old collapsed from exhaustion in the backyard after he’d juggled a soccer ball with his feet more than 600 times. Or all the days they would look out their back window and see him shooting hundreds of free throws on the court at the junior high school behind their house, just so he could figure out his shooting percentage from the charity strife.

So when Steve came home one day after playing a new game with his friends in the eighth grade and told his mother he was going to play in the NBA, she didn’t just nod, smile and give him an encouraging pat on the back like many parents would.

“I didn’t doubt him,” she says. “Whether he’d make it or not you don’t know, but I knew he was going to give it a heck of a try, because he works hard for what he gets.”

Even though the game of basketball was invented in Canada and the first game in NBA history was held in Toronto, growing up in the Great White North was by no means a leg up for those with pro aspirations. That is unless those pro aspirations were of playing pro hockey.

Since that first game 50 years ago this November, only twelve players born in Canada have ever made it to the NBA. Rick Fox of the Celtics and Bill Wennington of the Bulls, are the only two currently in the league, but both played their high school careers in the U.S..

No, Canada was in no way a hoops haven, and Steve knew better than to tell but a select few of his dream, for he was afraid that people would laugh at him and put him down.

“He always told me he was going to, so I just believed what he told me,” his sister says. “When he started talking about it, I was too young to know any better. But for a while there, I was kind of wondering. After Sports Illustrated and stuff and he started to get more attention, I didn’t think there was anyway he couldn’t.”

The article in SI, Steve’s baby sister refers to, was in the December 11, 1995 issue. The feature which included a photo of his old bedroom wallpapered in posters of Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan and his other sports idols, documented the challenges he faced of getting noticed, first by college recruiters in the United States and then by those in the basketball know, for Santa Clara was a school known for its academics not its athletic programs. But Steve’s toughest challenge came more than a year before his high school coach sent out even the first of dozens of letters to university’s about the talented senior.

During his junior year at Mt. Douglas High School, Steve’s soccer team won the state championship in the fall and he was named the Province States’ MVP. But because he was absent from class time and time again as his team competed, several teachers refused to allow him to retake missed exams and his grades subsequently plummeted. His parents, extremely worried, decided they would enroll him in a private school.

“If we weren’t going to get the support from teachers at the school, we decided that we had to go somewhere else,” Jean explains. “We wanted Stephen to get a college education — a university education. We knew he wanted to go to play a sport, but we were more interested in him getting a degree.”

Dec. 1, 1990, Steve began school at St. Michael’s University School, but because of the mid-year transfer, was not allowed to play basketball at his new school.

“I just loved basketball so much and played so much and worked so hard — to be punished for transferring schools — it was a difficult year,” he says. “But it was something I had to do. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t made that move. It’s that simple.”

But it really wasn’t quite that simple. Steve’s friends and teammates at his old school gave him a hard time for deserting them and the media devoured the story because he was the Province’s best player and there were those who claimed he had been recruited by St. Michael’s. “Steve Nash Changes Allegiances,” the local newspaper read.

Steve didn’t let the allegations or ban from his favorite sport halt his hopes. In fact, the forced sabbatical may have helped, as he had more time to study and improve his scholastic skills.

“When he came in, he lacked a lot of the fundamentals,” says Bill Greenwell, who was Nash’s math teacher as well as the assistant coach of St. Michael’s basketball team. “It was quite obvious that he hadn’t put much effort into it. But he made a decision when he came here to our place that academics were going to be a fairly high priority to him and he had a lot of catching up to do, not just in mathematics but in his sciences and all the other courses. He was behind in all of them and he worked hard.”

The teenager went in for extra tutoring before and after school, and on more than one occasion, even spent his lunch break studying. He wasn’t going to let algebra, trigonometry and physics keep him from getting into a university in the States. He wasn’t going to let anything stop him.

“He was just really intense,” says Martin, who was always a grade below his big brother. “He always wanted to improve in everything he did. I remember days when he’d just dribble the basketball to school. He’d play between classes, at recess, in the gym; every chance he’d get, he’d be out playing.”

After working on his game and building his confidence during pick-up games with the Canadian National Team his junior year, Nash was ready to explode his final season of high school ball with hopes of getting noticed by colleges south of the border.

“He came into our school, into a really well-established, dominant athletic group, a team that would’ve been very successful in its own right and immediately became the leader,” says Ian Hyde-Lay, the coach who inherited the point guard transfer. “The tougher the situation, the more he wanted to be right in there taking the last shot or whatever. There was just something about him. There was just kind of a sparkle in his eyes that just tells you he’s a little different than most guys.”

A little different? How about a lot different. Steve nearly averaged a triple double his senior season putting up digits better than 21 points, 11 handouts and nine boards. But it wasn’t enough.

Hyde-Lay and his assistants wrote letter after letter to college coaches across America on behalf of their senior phenom as his final season was coming to a close. But, letter after letter of rejection followed. Thanks, but no thanks.

“It was frustrating because I was watching college basketball on TV all the time thinking that I could play with this guy and that guy, that I could play at certain schools and no one would ever show any interest,” Steve says.

Finally, Santa Clara head coach Dick Davey made a trek North to take a look at the young Canadian. And once he got there, he took another look, around the gym to make sure there were no other scouts around waiting to stake a claim to his new found golden boy.

“After seeing him I was nervous as hell just hoping that no one else would see him,” Davey admits. “It didn’t take a nobel prize winner to figure out this guy’s pretty good. It was just a case of hoping that none of the big names came around.”

They didn’t and so when the time came that it was legal for recruiters to talk with high school players, Davey made his pitch, but it wasn’t quite what Nash had expected. “You’ve got to be the worst defensive player I’ve ever seen,” he told Steve and his family as they all walked out of an arena in Vancouver together after a game.

The coach and the student then went and sat down privately at a nearby coffee shop. Santa Clara was the only school recruiting Steve and there may never have been another. Yet the senior was quick to attack the coach on his observation. “Why do you think I’m such a bad defensive player?” he quizzed. “What don’t you like about my ‘D’?” After hearing the coaches view of some of his weaknesses, Steve boldly and confidently stated “Well, it’s going to change then.”

“I didn’t doubt him. Whether he’d make it or not you don’t know, but I knew he was going to give it a heck of a try, because he works hard for what he gets.”

“Just the tough mindedness about him as a kid was really kind of refreshing,” says Davey, who was an assistant coach at SCU for 15 years before taking over the head coaching reigns in ‘92. “He’s demanding of himself. He doesn’t like to fail in anything he does. We had another one like him in Rambis. Different position, different guy, different skills and all that, but they’re the two most deranged players I’ve ever been around as far as wanting to see themselves improve.”

If Davey didn’t realize that his new recruit would one day end up wearing a Phoenix Suns uniform like former Santa Clara products Kurt Rambis, Nick Vanos and Dennis Awtrey, it wouldn’t take him long to at least see Nash’s potential for a future career in the NBA.

Although coming off the bench his frosh season, Nash stepped up in the NCAA Tourney and led his No. 15 seeded Broncos to the upset of the tournament, defeating No. 2 seed Arizona by knocking down six straight free throws in the last 31 seconds, sprinting to the line for each one. Practicing alone late into the nights at the school’s gym and dribbling a tennis ball around campus for coordination, Steve worked hard on his game while at Santa Clara.

Over the next three year in the states, the point guard would take his team to the big dance twice more and would be named the WCC Player of the Year in 1995 and 1996. Along the way he set a number of school records and led the conference in both scoring and assists his junior year, an achievement first accomplished by Gonzaga’s John Stockton more than a decade earlier.

While many including Davey compared Nash to the Utah Jazz All-Star, there were still doubters and questions about his game. Was he quick enough to be able to defend other point guards at the next level? Sure he was a great shooter, but would he be able to get his shot off? Was he athletic enough to compete in the NBA?

Despite a strained hamstring, the guard had an impressive showing at the Nike Desert Classic in April silencing many of his critics. But anyone who had seen him during pick-up games last summer in San Francisco, would’ve know what to expect way before he would be named to the Classic’s All-Tournament team. It was in the Bay area, that Nash would get his first tastes of the NBA, in the forms of the Mavericks’ Jason Kidd and the Sonics’ Gary Payton.

“Last summer it was new to him, he had never worked out that kind of way against us, but he was OK,” says Payton. “I think he’s got a lot of skills. He’s a real, true point guard to me because he can pass the ball. He can play defense too. He’s going to be OK.”

The fans in Victoria, as well as Canada, who have grown in number as Stephen has grown in age, believe their hometown hero will be more than “OK,” in the big leagues. There’s even a book about his journey entitled “Long Shot” in the final editing stages, that will be released in October.

“He’s always been kind of a — what would you call him — kind of a star here in Victoria,” his mom says. “He’s been on TV so many times it’s crazy.

Everybody’s always looked up to him because he’s done so well. It’s weird to think that everybody’s so proud of him, not only us.”

Only a month after graduating with a degree in sociology, Steve made his family, school and country even prouder when he finally reached his childhood goal of making it to the NBA.

The world famous Butchart Gardens and Royal British Columbia Museum were likely slower on the afternoon of June 26, and all of the ferry’s and double-decker busses were likely busier as residents of Victoria scattered to the local sports bars to catch the satellite broadcast of the draft, live from New Jersey.

There was also quite a flurry around town eight picks into the draft as those watching at home suddenly leapt off their coaches and headed out their front doors.

“They only showed the first hour and after that, they cut off and put on the Simpsons or something like that,” Jean reports. “Everyone was so mad, so everybody had to rush out to the pub.”

Luckily, the group of about 30 of Steve’s family members, friends and teammates didn’t have to scurry about looking for a place to watch the on-goings, for they were all in attendance at the Continental Arena when NBA Commissioner David Stern made it official. “With the 15th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns select... Steve Nash.”

Meanwhile out west in Phoenix, the announcement by Suns assistant coach Danny Ainge was met with a storm of jeers and catcalls from fans gathered at the America West Arena who knew little of the 6-3, 195 pound Canadian.

“I don’t look like I’m going to be a tremendous basketball player on appearance,” the rookie says with a smile. “I probably would’ve booed myself too, but I’m going to be a really good player and I’m going to help the team a lot. I have a lot of faith in myself and hopefully they’ll enjoy watching me play. They want to win and I wouldn’t want fans who just sat back and didn’t care, so I’m excited to be in a passionate city.”

Most college athletes who make it to the pros, no matter what the sport, are just as excited about their new-found wealth as their new city and new team. But Steve, who asked his father to “just give him an allowance,” doesn’t want to worry about the money.

“I mean, sure I want to spoil myself a little bit,” he said after signing a three-year contract with the club. “But I’m not the type of person that material things will ever make me overwhelmingly happy.

“I’ll probably just get some furnishings for my parents house first of all. They have this little rinky-dink TV and you have to turn it on by putting little tweezers in the whole because the knob’s broke. So I’ll probably get some things for my parents and my brother and sister’s comfort first and then we’ll figure something out for me.”

The first thing Steve plans to figure out is where to go from here. He graduated high school. He made it to a university in the United States. He graduated from college and now he’s made it to the NBA.

He knows the journey has just begun and it won’t be easy. He will likely see limited minutes in his first year, as he will be coming off the bench in back-up role to Suns’ captain Kevin Johnson. But at least he’s found the right road and from now on will be an arrow pointing the direction for other kids in Canada who, when are given an assignment to write a paper about what they would like to do with their life, they can proudly answer “I want to be a professional athlete. An athlete like Steve Nash.”

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Suns Flashback: The Canadian Kid

Matt Petersen

One night dedicated entirely to Steve Nash made the former two-time MVP squirm a little bit. He did, after all, make a living out of setting up others, not himself.

“I downplay everything,” he admitted. “I deflect. I have a hard time really accepting, in some ways, my successes.”

Nash couldn’t have deflected attention even had he wanted to on Friday night. Not with over 18,000 fan placards reading “Nash” and “13” on one side and an image of him hoisting an MVP trophy on the other. Not with video after video of former teammates, peers and friends congratulating him. Not with his likeness and name being unveiled alongside other Hall-of-Famers and Suns legends.

For one night, he allowed himself to receive the attention he had so thoroughly earned.

“I want to try my best to take it all in and not avoid or deflect or deny myself that opportunity as I’ve done for years,” Nash said. “Strategically, to keep going forward, I always tried to dismiss everything. I don’t have to play tonight. I don’t have to play tomorrow.”

Instead, Nash and his supporters reflected on his epic yesterdays. The crowd ooh-ed over footage of a behind-the-back pass to Amar’e Stoudemire for a rim-rattling dunk. They cheered with defiance befitting the images of swollen eyes and bashed noses suffered in playoff battles. They chanted “MVP” to the only Suns player to win the award more than once.

Iconic voices from Suns lore added their testimonies to Nash’s legacy. Former owner Jerry Colangelo said Phoenix drafted him despite already having Kevin Johnson (and trading for Jason Kidd just months later) in the backcourt because Nash “was the best player on the [draft] board, without question.” After reminiscing about the beginning of the star’s career, he offered a preview to how his NBA path will end.

“You know I’m the chairman of the Hall of Fame,” Colangelo declared. “So I want to say this to you without reservation. You will be a first-ballot electee.”

Former Suns Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, whose offense went hand-in-hand with Nash’s talents, could offer only gratitude to Steve’s parents.

“I don’t know how they met,” he laughed, “but boy am I glad you guys got together.”

Yet just as he did during his Hall-of-Fame-worthy peak, Nash somehow managed to avoid himself long enough to acknowledge nearly everyone else. He referenced the talents of former All-Star teammates Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire, whose video tributes drew thunderous cheers from the fans who remembered their feats alongside the now-honored point guard. He gestured to his new teammates, fellow Ring of Honor members, saying, “I still admire and think of every one of them as my idols.”

Then he addressed the fans, who sandwiched every group of his improvised words with showers of applause.

“You lose, and it burns forever, but that’s what makes the game great. Not everyone can win. We weren’t able to win [a championship]. That’s life, but that’s what makes it beautiful. If everyone got the chance to win, what would winning mean?”

“You guys are the best,” Nash told them. “You guys were so good to me. You supported me. You loved me. We went through bad times together. We went through great times together.”

Nash’s video tribute showed flashes of all those times. Though the 2007 playoff game in which Nash split his nose open ended in a loss, the crowd cheered just as loudly for that as they did during his game-winning highlights.

Within their love for trials and successes alike, one could see Nash’s opinion of his journey as a whole.

“Losing burns, but you roll the dice and you play for everything,” Nash reflected. “You lose, and it burns forever, but that’s what makes the game great. Not everyone can win. We weren’t able to win [a championship]. That’s life, but that’s what makes it beautiful. If everyone got the chance to win, what would winning mean?”

That truth, perhaps more than anything else, is what he shares with the other 13 members of the Ring of Honor. None of them were able to earn a championship ring, but all of them – from Dick Van Arsdale to Jerry Colangelo and now to Nash – define eras of rolling dice, burning and beauty.

Nash did not cry when his image, name and number were revealed as the newest addition to the legendary Ring. He smiled, willingly accepting the praise along with Colangelo’s eloquently short invitation.

“Steve,” he told Nash, “welcome to the family.”

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Nash Shelves Selflessness Long Enough to Accept Suns' Highest Honor

Former Suns forward Shawn Marion sat down with Phoenix Suns Productions to talk about the career of Steve Nash, who will be inducted into the Suns Ring of Honor on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. Marion and Nash were part of the Phoenix teams that won a combined 177 regular season games from 2004-2007 and twice advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Both Marion and Nash were named Western Conference All-Stars in each of those three seasons.

On how his and Steve Nash’s paths criss-crossed during their respective NBA careers…

It seems like it was just yesterday. I got selected with the ninth pick. With that pick, Steve went to Dallas. Both of us took off the stars. It was pretty sweet. Steve was able to team up with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley and just get the Mavericks on the right path. I was coming into Phoenix and starting a great run as well. It was pretty sweet. It was a pretty interesting connection for us being on different paths.

On taking the league by storm in 2004-05…

That was the first year of quote-unquote “small ball.” I had to move over and play power forward. I gained 10 pounds of muscle that summer – it didn’t last long (laughs) by the time training camp was over with. That was the year we started small ball. Steve, Q-Rich, Joe Johnson, me and Amar’e, we just took off from the guns. We were out there and everybody was looking [wondering] where we were at. We were on a bullet for the stars and everybody was just trying to catch up with us.

On establishing an star-studded identity with the Suns…

I guess they used to call us the Big Three. Me, Amar’e and Steve, it was awesome, man. I think Coach D’Antoni had a style he wanted to bring to the league and it worked. Of course, there were some adjustments here and there, but for the most part we were able to go out there and give the league something they never expected and didn’t see. Basically it was setting something up for the future. I think you see more small ball now than you ever did in the NBA right now. It’s probably because we started it.

On how Nash and the Suns helped revolutionize basketball…

When you look at the last five years, there’s been more small ball played than I’ve ever seen in the league. Last year, of course, with Golden State winning the championship, they were able to go ahead and get to the top of the mountain, finish what we started back then. You look at all the teams now that have a versatile wing player, they’re able to go small ball. Especially LeBron, he’s able to guard one through five. It’s similar to what we did when we started. They actually won it. He’s able to play power forward or center and cause a bunch of problems on the other end for the guys because they couldn’t go small and adjust to it.

On the tough breaks and bad luck Phoenix suffered during the Nash era…

That’s the one thing about the NBA and postseason life. There’s going to be injuries throughout the year. You don’t know who’s going to go down or what can happen. You’ve got to make adjustments. I think we were able to get through some of those injuries and stuff and still have a successful season, but we never reached the top of the mountain. It was heartbreaking a little bit, because I really did feel like we should have one a championship in one of those years.

Steve was by far one of the best probers in the league. I think he set the tone, making sure his pass was going to be an assist. We had a good chemistry. He had chemistry with everybody. He tried to have a good floor balance. He made sure he distributed the ball to everybody evenly and you got your opportunities. Of course there were certain games where they were maybe face-guarding all the perimeter shooters and he had to get his [shots] off more.

He was a great shooter from the perimeter and was an excellent free throw shooter. He was able to do a lot of things that enabled us to be a better team. It was fun. It was fun to watch it, fun to be around it. We had a great run. We just made basketball really, really fun to watch, shooting threes and dunking on people. What more to basketball is there than that?

On playing with Nash during his MVP seasons…

It was magical years to be a part of him winning back-to-back MVPs. We had a magical run. All the guys on the team can actually say it was fun. We had a good time doing it. When you’re out there playing ball and you’re winning and doing things, you get rewarded for it. That was the reward. He was able to go out there and get back-to-back MVPs off of some of the amazing years we had. It showed.

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#NashROH: An Interview with Shawn Marion

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