Most of the guys in the NBA are supremely talented at basketball, seeing as it’s sort of an entry-level requirement. But their skills don’t stop there. Legends like LeBron James and Michael Jordan have shown impressive abilities in other sports too — Jordan in baseball, and LeBron with his high school football mixtape. Steve Nash is another great example. He’s incredibly gifted in soccer, and had life taken a different turn, he might’ve become a soccer legend instead of a basketball one.
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Seeing Nash’s skill with a soccer ball at his feet, it’s no surprise that he was invited to participate in a charity match hosted by Brazilian legends Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos. Nash has been invited to play in this annual game for a few years now, and even marked his 2022 appearance with a goal.
This year, however, a different kind of highlight of his went viral on social media when he was tackled and taken out by Lionel Messi’s bodyguard, Yassine Chueko.
The clip, which has amassed thousands of views online, shows Nash holding off the bigger, stronger Parisian. He weaved in and out, drove to the by-line, and tried to pass his way out of trouble — only for Chueko to tackle him from behind, sending the two-time MVP crashing to the floor.
Rather than get irritated, Nash and Chueko immediately got up. Chueko even hugged him with a smile as they jogged back up the pitch together.
Of course, Nash grew up playing soccer, so he’s no stranger to that level of contact. His father, John, was a semi-pro footballer who played in both South Africa and England before moving to Canada. Nash himself seemed destined for a career in the beautiful game—until one particular advertisement changed his life.
While talking to LeBron James and Luka Doncic on ‘Mind the Game,’ the former Maverick revealed that Michael Jordan‘s iconic commercial with Spike Lee was the biggest reason he gave up soccer for basketball.
He said, “When I was 13, what really got me into basketball was Michael Jordan. The first Air Jordan shoes commercial with Spike Lee.”
Those Nike commercials were nothing short of iconic, so it’s understandable why Nash was so taken in by them.
Thanks to Spike Lee and MJ, we got to watch one of the greatest point guards of his generation perform on the biggest basketball stage in the world. Nash played 18 seasons in the NBA and currently ranks 5th on the league’s all-time assist chart.
With the closest active player, Russell Westbrook, still 410 assists away, Nash’s spot might be overtaken soon—but being in the top 10 of any all-time NBA stat is still an incredible achievement. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018, proving that switching to basketball was probably the right call.
