Steve Nash’s Hall of Fame career reached its apex during his second stint with the Phoenix Suns when he won back-to-back NBA MVPs while orchestrating Mike D’Antoni’s “Seven Seconds or Less” offense.
Before that, Don Nelson helped Nash find his NBA game with the Dallas Mavericks.
Nelson passed away on Aug. 9 at age 86.
“Don Nelson revolutionized NBA basketball through his fearlessness, ingenuity and deep conviction," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement on Aug. 9. "He spent nearly 50 years in the NBA — winning five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics before building one of the most successful and pioneering coaching careers in league history. He brought an unmistakable personality to everything he did, and his impact on our
sport will continue to be felt for generations. I send my deepest condolences to Don’s family and many friends throughout our league.”
Nash became an All-Star point guard under Nelson, earning that honor and All-NBA third team twice (2001-02, 2002-03). He played all 82 games in each of those two seasons.
The Suns traded Nash to the Mavs in 1998 after his second year in Phoenix. Nelson welcomed Nash into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
“You got Nellie off of Maui, and you got both of us in a coat,” Nash said in his opening induction ceremony remarks Sept. 7, 2018, in Springfield, Mass., with a smiling Nelson sitting beside him. “This is a big, big, big night.”
Nelson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012 as a coach.
“One of a kind,” Nash said about Nelson during his speech. “Wow. He taught us to outthink our opponents. He saw the game in a slightly different way as you can tell as you could tell with some of our matchups, our game plans. He helped write the rules for much of our modern game and had some cheat sheets that he shared with us over the years.”
Nash, 52, is an NBA analyst for Amazon Prime and senior advisor for the Suns.
Averaging 14.6 points and 7.2 assists in his six seasons in Dallas, Nash helped the Mavericks reach the playoffs four straight years after posting a losing record of 19-31 under Nelson in his first season in Dallas in 1998-99.
Teaming up with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley, Nash averaged what was then a career-high 17.9 points playing for Nelson in 2001-02 when he became a first-time All-Star and All-NBA selection.
“He made me really think differently about the game,” Nash said. “Most importantly for me personally, though, Nellie taught me to be aggressive to score. I was very shy; I always wanted to pass, set up my teammates, and Nellie demanded that I score, and it changed everything for me. It’s a big reason why I’m standing here. Thank you, Nellie.”
The Mavs advanced to the 2003 conference finals before losing to the San Antonio Spurs, who defeated the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.
Dallas won 60 games in the 2002-03 regular season, which was then a franchise record for victories. Nash finished 11th in MVP voting that season.
Nellie… You didn't just draft me. You believed in me. You saw things in my game before I ever realized I could do them. I've said it a million times and I will always say it: I don't think my career could have turned out how it did without you being my first coach and giving me…
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) August 9, 2026
The Suns signed Nash as a free agent in the summer of 2004. He led the Suns to the conference finals three times (2005, 2006 and 2010).
Phoenix won what was then a franchise record 62 games in 2004-05 when Nash won his first league MVP honor.
The second all-time winningest coach in NBA history with 1,335 victories in 31 seasons, Nelson was voted NBA Coach of the Year three times (1982-83, 1984-85, 1991-92).
Nelson was born May 15, 1940, in Muskegon, Michigan. After playing college ball at Iowa, Nelson won five NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics.
He played 11 seasons with the Celtics, who retired his No. 19 jersey in 1978.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Before MVPs, '7 Seconds or Less,' Steve Nash shined under Don Nelson
