What if Steve Nash Wasn't White?

Question

Would he have been out of MVP contention and talks completely this year a la Michael Jordan (yes the definitive G.O.A.T.)? Would this hoop-la about the suns being dirty have happened during playoff basketball (where more often than not rougher things happen)? Would Horry have been suspended for 2 games, the hit was definately hyped up by media, suns fans, and Steve Nash (I'm a Nets fan by the way so I couldn't care less)? Would people complain about violence in basketball whereas there used to be true rivalry's that woudl get violent and truly heated (shaq v barkley anyone)? Would Baron Davis have gotten away with that or would he have just gotten up? Steve Nash gets a lot of hype, but if you loook at the team around him and his total stats not just defensive stats he wouldn't be great he would be...well...a really good player more like a chris paul. Wait never mind, chris paul is a young black male that plays defense. I'm looking for intelectually motivated answers, not foolishness.

Answer 1

How can this possibly be an "intellectually motivated answer" when the fact is you've made it a racial issue? If you "couldn't care less" than why even bring up the subject?

Did you watch the series of events that caused the suspension? It was a cheap shot plain and simple. And by the way, you English grammar needs a great deal of work.

Answer 2

actually, Phade3, the NBA is approximatly 20% white players, or one fifth. So it stands to reason that if one out of every five players is white then about each NBA team will have one white starter. It's misleading, also to say that 99% of Basketball fans are white. You were closer when you mentioned that there aren't that many Black people at the games. However, each race has it's own particular impact on the game. White people predminantly provide the league with it's money however, it is the blacks that don't attend the games that develop the NBA's culture. Basketball is seems to be of more importance personally, to many blacks than to whites. It is that culture that keeps Basketball as popular as it is and why it keeps the games interesting. It is a bit foreign to the rich, sheltered white guys up in the press box, becuase they've never had to play ball to go to college, they only know financial stability( not to imply that all black people are poor and have to play sports to be successful). Anyway, about Steve Nash, it may be true that he gets some press for being white. If so it's becuase he's a minority in the NBA. Any minority is going to get more press for the same high profile job. It's the same reason why a black caoch in D-1 football is a big deal, it's just not as common. You can't take away from the fact that Nash is a hardowrking, skilled team leader on and off the court. At the end of the day he still has to be good to back up the hype by being a great player (you don't here any Jason Kapono for MVP talk just becuase he's white.)

Answer 3

Nash and Nowitzki unfortunately suffer the same fate as Bird suffered. No matter how good a player they are/were, people still question if they would get the hype they get if they weren't white players. The NBA has been looking for another Larry Bird since he retired and Nash and Nowitzi are the closest thing to Bird that the league has had in years.

Even though the players in the NBA are 90% African American, the fans are 99% white and they are the ones who help pay the players salary so the league (namely) David Stern, does not want to alienate or drive away the deep pockets of the white fans. If you ever watch an NBA game, you hardly see any African American fans at the games. Ticket prices are too high for the average joe to afford so it's become a status symbol to attend NBA games for those with the pockets to afford it. Just about every team starts at least one white player whether he's American or European ! Thats done to appease the white fan base !

As for Nash and Nowitzi, they are playing in an era when there aren't that many good white players and the league and its fans want to thrust them into another stratosphere because they happen to be white. Nash is probably the best PG but then again he has a better supporting cast than does Kidd or Baron Davis.

When Nash first broke into the league, he rode the bench in his first stint with Phoenix and then they traded him to Dallas and he began to show his skills once Dallas made him their starting PG.

Chris Paul will one day be the preeminent PG in the NBA. All he's lacking right now is a decent consistent jumpshot. For now, Nash is the best PG in the league.

P.S. If Baron Davis had two healthy knees, he would be the best PG in the NBA hands down !

Answer 4

If Nash were black, then you would be seeing him make highlight reel dunks that would make him an even more explosive point guard. His vert would probably be the only difference in his game, and this would most likely boost his scoring to the likes of Baron Davis, but lower his assist totals a little. Adding dunks to his style of play would have not only made him regular season MVP 2 years in a row, but countless other years, and many FInals MVPs as well. Also if John Stockton put up very similar numbers for about 15 years that Nash did in his 2 MVP seasons, why did Stockton never win MVP honors? What, casue Malone was the star? What about the TWO guys in Phoenix that are the recivers of about 80% of Steve Nash's assists, Marion and Stoudemire? Jason Kidd is 1/2 black, and he IS a better all around player than Steve Nash. The only reason most NBA GMs would take Nash over Kidd right now is Kidd's age, just like anyone would take Yao over Shaq right now. But, Shaq was obviously the better player. Stockton was a better point guard than Nash, and so is Jason Kidd, if all that matters in the NBA is winning, not stats but they (Kidd and Stock) are better than Nash statistically AND as winners, both having LED their team to the Finals twice, ironically in consecutive years and both lost both of em. If Nash would have led his team to victory in Game 4 vs the Spurs, I think it would have justified his 2006 MVP because they still won without Stoudemire. It was as if the league was saying the same thing with the suspensions, was Nash the reason that the Suns won so many games the last 3 years? Game 5 just showed us that Stoudemire is the Karl Malone of the team. If Nash and the Suns win a ring this year, and Nash ends up the Finals MVP then I guess it does justify his 2 regular season MVPs.

Answer 5

I'm black and white and I think it's crappy that a lot of white people will like a player better or root for him more cause he's white that's not fair to the black players. With that said Steve Nash is good but I find it messed up that his team mates get no credit really and he gets all this credit for making them better. I mean Amare averaged 20 and 10 and Marion was an All Star before Nash and everyone acts like it's a one man show. With that said he might of deserved 1 MVP but 2 back to back MVP's for a guy who's never reached the Finals? Not only that but 2 of the 4, 3 year back to back MVP's were white? What's that about? How come there's 50/50 in that department and no black presidential candidate is taken seriously no matter how well they could probably do the job? Off subject I know.

Answer 6

If Nash wasn't white, the only thing I believe would change is the way he wears his hair. Talent is talent, and this white guy has it. To me, a MVP is a person who picks his/her team up on their shoulders, and carries them on to a successful season. He's done this just the same as MJ and all of the other MVP's whether white or black. As far as the rough play hoop-la, the media has to have something to talk about. In this case, I don't think race is a factor, it's just the NBA has become extra extra sensitive to physical play in light of past altercations (Detroit/Indiana or NY/Den). Horry got one game for the hip check on Nash just the same as Posey did a year ago for running into Henrich. The other game suspension came because he put his forearm up to Bells neck. Lastly, Chris Paul is an excellent player with crazy potential. But Steve Nash has proven to be a spectacular player. (No comparison)

Answer 7

You can bring up the race cards all you want but somehow you overlook The Phoenix Suns records.

You can say that CP3 has a chance becoming the MVP but his team records are bad (mostly because of injuries).

If you're looking for intelectually motivated answers you should asked an intelectually motivated questions not a racially charged question while denying the facts.
BTW, I'm a Kobe fan.

Answer 8

interior the wonderful 30 years ought to be, Jerry West, John Havlicek, Kevin Mchale have been actual larger. Dirk ought to be a coarse call additionally Ginobili. Kevin Love would be larger and take this spot interior the following couple of years. I gotta upload this, somebody above stated Nash can no longer shoot, he's in all probability between the 5 first-cost shooters on the planet at cutting-edge, if youin case you say he can no longer shoot bill Engvall has a sign for you

Answer 9

I'd like to start off saying that im a nets fan also, so i to dont gave a crap about the seve nash hype. but if steve nash wasnt white it wouldnt make a differance. maybe he would be faster. but in life in the 21st century, most of us dont care about the color, only the skill. if our ethnic backround mattered, would all the african americans be playing? theres no differance if your white, black or brown. i say steve nash would still be a sun fans favorite. he would have gotten up and played some more even if he was black.

Answer 10

Now if you would have mentioned the fact that a zone defense make player look better than they really are with all those wide open (white guy) jump shot you would have had me. Until Chris Paul puts up Nash type numbers, he is average Nash is great.