NBA legend Steve Nash recalled the “dumb” moment — just 20 days into his rookie season — when he asked for the shoes of Michael Jordan.
Steve Nash spoke with Ernie Johnson where the two-time MVP narrated his encounter with Jordan. His story started right after their first meeting with the Chicago Bulls in 1996-97 season.
On the team bus, Steve Nash noticed that teammate Chucky Brown was holding up a pair of Jordan's worn shoes. Brown revealed to the curious Nash that for him to get his hands on the priceless pair of shoes, all he had to do was ask his Airness himself.
And so Steve Nash did just that, some nine days later after their first meeting. This time, Nash matched up with Jordan where the latter drained his trademark fadeaway shot from the post. Instead of feeling down that a foe scored on him, Nash did the unthinkable:
“As a rookie, it was like that moment where I was like, ‘Holy sh–, MJ just scored on me,’” he said, as transcribed by Jordan Horrobin of Sportsnet. “‘He’s letting me have it in a fun way. This is unbelievable.’ And all I could think of was, Chucky Brown got his shoes.
“So I turn, I laugh and I go, ‘Can I have your shoes after the game?’”
As Steve Nash told Johnson, he was “young and dumb” at that point in time. But wouldn't trade that moment for anything.
“When you idolize someone like that to the level that so many of us did with MJ, that superseded any sort of self awareness that maybe I shouldn’t be asking an opponent for his shoes,” Steve Nash said. “It was just one of those moments that I look back on — like many — and think I was just young and dumb. But at the same time, I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
It's a great story by Steve Nash, who, years after his rookie campaign, would go on to become one of the best guards in NBA history.
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