Steve Nash possesses two of the most controversial MVP awards in NBA history, notably beating out Shaquille O’Neal in 2004-05 and Kobe Bryant in 2005-06. The first of the two stands out as the more questioned nomination, as Nash averaged just 15.5 points per game that season. But Joe Johnson explained why the Hall of Fame playmaker deserved both of the awards.
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Many believe Nash earned one of the MVPs but shouldn’t have been given both. Johnson disagrees, recalling how pitifully the Suns performed when their leader was absent. Nash’s scoring numbers were never gaudy, but the 51-year-old was essential to Phoenix’s high-powered offense.
Johnson shared how when Nash was available, the Suns were blowing out teams more often than not. However, when the eight-time All-Star was sidelined, the rest of the squad struggled to keep up with their opponents.
“We had a stretch where [Nash] would miss like 8-10 games, we probably won one game, I’m not gonna lie,” Johnson said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back. “That’s how important he was to us.”
Did Steve Nash deserve MVP over Shaq and Kobe?
“When we had him on the floor we was blowing out teams… when he wasn’t on the floor it was like why is the game so hard.” – @TheJoeJohnson7 pic.twitter.com/OsCngeMLPH
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 19, 2025
Even with the support of his former teammate, Nash’s pair of MVP awards have been questioned for the better part of two decades. Shaq, especially, still hasn’t forgiven voters for failing to recognize his dominant 2004-05 campaign.
Shaq believes Steve Nash stole MVPs from him and Kobe
Shaquille O’Neal posted elite numbers in his first season with the Miami Heat, averaging 22.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. However, it still wasn’t enough to beat out Nash and his 62-win Suns. To this day, Shaq still doesn’t believe the smooth-shooting guard deserved his MVP nominations.
Shaq has brought up how he was wronged in the race on multiple occasions. The legendary big man recently reminisced on the times he was robbed after Nikola Jokic beat out his pick for MVP last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“I’ve been number two a lot,” Shaq said. “So the fact that [SGA] has to start all over and try to win it again… Hopefully he uses this to motivate him to win a championship.”
Considering the emphasis that is usually put on winning in the race, Shaq has a valid point. Both the Nuggets and the Thunder finished with 57 wins last season, but Denver entered the year as the reigning champions while OKC had missed the postseason altogether in 2022-23.
It seemed as if the Canadian superstar’s consistent production paired with the rise of the young Thunder would be enough to warrant an MVP win, but the Joker’s continued excellence slightly edged him out. One year later, with the same two talents leading the race, SGA is once again in position to earn his first MVP award.
