Plenty of NBA players have a deep passion for other sports to go with their love for basketball. NBA legend Steve Nash is no different. The two-time MVP has always had a soft spot for soccer. Following his retirement, he pursued an ownership stake in a small soccer club, RCD Mallorca in Spain. The current stages of the team remind Dirk Nowitzki of his childhood experiences.
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In 2016, Steve Nash joined an ownership group to become a minority shareholder of RCD Mallorca in Spain. Although Nash’s nation of residence remains the United States, he continues to be as active as he can be in team operations.
The La Liga Club has a rich history spanning over 100 years, which means that the fan base expected great things from Nash and the new ownership. The first few years, however, didn’t go the way anyone hoped.
“You can imagine a bunch of Americans and a Canadian come in and take over the club, and we go down to the third division in a year or a half or so,” Nash said in a conversation with Nowitzki on the club’s YouTube channel.
Mallorca fans are extremely passionate and didn’t hesitate to express their frustrations. “A lot of people stopped coming,” Nash revealed. The struggles that come with managing a small club took Dirk Nowitzki down memory lane.
“I grew up in Germany in a small club,” Nowitzki said. “We got promoted, and everybody, even the GM, is in practice and is passionate. I think that’s the only way for a small club to grow.”
Nowitzki’s club he was referring to, was the Division 2 club DJK Wuzberg in Germany. He was only 16 years old when he made the roster. In his last season, he led the team to a historic promotion to a higher league.
The passion that everyone in that club had played a major role. Luckily, Nash and the rest of the ownership group aren’t in it just for the money. They love soccer and want to see the club succeed.
After dropping to Tier 3 in the 2017-18 season, they battled their way back to Tier 1 (La Liga) consistently by the 2021-22 season. The club hasn’t looked back since.
Nowitzki’s words of wisdom are something Nash will take to heart as the club looks to compete against the top guns of Spanish soccer.
