Everyone favourite basketball podcast is back! Just with a little Canadian twist. LeBron James‘ Mind the Game pod returns after over a year on the shelf collecting dust and cobwebs. But this time, it’s NBA legend Steve Nash as Bron’s newest business partner across the desk. It’s back with the same intentions, to “celebrate the beautiful game of basketball.” The main agenda of the first episode was initially to breakdown Nash’s legacy, but he couldn’t help but speak of Stephen Curry’s impact in revolutionising the sport.

It’s no secret that the dynamic of the sport has changed during Nash’s time in the Association. The rougher, tougher, no-nonsense days of the late 90s and early 2000s are no more. Instead, the game’s played with a more methodical and calculated approach. But guess who helped change that narrative- yep, it was Steph. The sheer confidence in his own skin to be able to take shots from the 3P line and beyond was unheard of until the lanky, 6’3 point guard came across the Warriors squad. And Nash knows it.

“You you see it like with Steph, like how he’s, you know, I wanted to shoot close to line… what Steph has been brilliant at is drawing the whole defense out. And now, like, the culture- every night you see guys take threes, two, three feet behind the line. It’s not just Steph. It’s like the whole league takes threes. You take threes from out here,” highlighed the veteran PG on the pod.

So his message to the other 29 teams is clear- follow suit, and you’ll succeed. The meta nowadays is to hit and hope when you’re confident, just like the Warriors guard. So why not do the same right? Creativity takes courage- courage to be confident in your skills, and applying it on the court. The game’s not like the old days anymore, as Nash pointed out many times. But how is it different, and will today’s athletes survive in the Transitional Era?

Steve Nash highlights stark difference between his era and that of LeBron James-Stephen Curry

It’s not to say that the tactics of the old days can’t work today. It’s more of how Stephen Curry‘s 3P shooting was a resource no one had the courage to do earlier. “But you know, we were coming from an area where you don’t take those shots,” said Nash. “You don’t take a bunch of threes. It was the opposite. It was almost looked down upon. So you’re trying to get close to the line and pull.” And that was the key difference between the eras. But there was one other thing that helped the Canadian cement his legacy- and it could come in handy for the teams.

“I created confusion,” Nash told James in regards to his playmaking skills. “I changed an opponent’s perspective. They had to look around in ways that made them uncomfortable, where they couldn’t see both – the ball and the man they were guarding.” There’s a reason he ranks 5th in the all-time NBA assists charts. He was unguardable. His ability to routinely put defenders in situations where they had to make quick and difficult decisions. If you can’t beat them, confuse them. And then beat them. Pretty neat, right?

If the first episode of the LeBron James’ podcast is anything to go by, then the podcast is really back with a bang. Steve Nash highlighting Stephen Curry’s legacy fits well in today’s dynamic of courageous and bold players that have the mindset of the best from day one. And that’s the mindset they need to take into the play-ins. So, the mission objective for the rest of the 29 teams? Take notes on Steph’s 3P brilliance, and emulate to the best of your ability.