Throughout the history of the NBA, basketball players have often showcased their passion for other sports. Michael Jordan famously stepped into the baseball diamond, while Nate Robinson entertained thoughts of an NFL career. More recently, Steve Nash, the 2x NBA MVP, has reignited this conversation with a jaw-dropping display of his skills at ComplexCon, sparking curiosity about a potential “dream” sports shift after his basketball career.

The viral moment came when Complex Sneakers shared a video of Nash balancing a soccer ball on his foot with finesse on their Instagram Story, captioned “@stevenash has crazy skills.” The 50-year-old also spared no time in resharing the story and captioned it as “The dream is still alive.” For Nash, this was far from a random party trick—it was a reminder of the Canadian star’s deep connection to the beautiful game.

Before his rise to NBA stardom, Nash had soccer in his blood. Born in South Africa and raised in Canada, his father, John Nash, played professional soccer, and his brother Martin represented Canada in the sport. While basketball ultimately became his path to fame, Nash’s love for soccer never faded. In the years that followed, he also made guest appearances for several soccer teams, including a training session with the Italian soccer club Inter Milan in New Jersey at the New York Red Bulls’ facilities in 2013.

“The athlete in me thinks if I could have put all the energy I put into basketball into football, I could have made something of myself. At the same time, I have such a respect for world football and how good the players are. … I would hate to disrespect anyone by saying I could have been a professional footballer, but you never know. I certainly put a lot of hours into basketball, so it would have been interesting to see if I could have made something of myself on the football pitch,” said Nash during an interview. (as per ESPN)

Nash’s flirtation with soccer doesn’t take away from his role in basketball. He was a 19-year veteran of the NBA, and turned the point guard position on its head, posting 14.3 PPG and 8.5 APG. Nash was an 8x All-Star and a 2x MVP (2005, 2006) after beginning his NBA career with the Phoenix Suns in 1996. He’s one of 13 players in league history to pass 10,335 assists and led the NBA in assists five times. Nash transitioned from player to coach after leaving the game and became the Brooklyn Nets head coach in 2020.

The event that Steve Nash was present at was hosted by Complex, a media platform renowned for its influence on youth culture, streetwear, sneakers, music, and art, and hosted many celebrities, like Travis Scott, Snoop Dogg, and Playboi Carti.  Moreover, there was another time when the Hall of Famer coach lived his dream.

When Steve Nash played alongside Soccer standouts

The 2x NBA MVP and Hall of Famer Steve Nash has always been vocal about his love of soccer. A lifelong fan of the sport, Nash has seen his fair share of some of the game’s greatest legends share the pitch with him.

His dream came true during a friendly game in Miami in 2022 that involved Paul Pogba and Hristo Stoichkov. The game was titled ‘The Beautiful Game‘. Hosted by Brazil legends Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos.

“Fortunately, I’ve gotten a chance to have so many great experiences. It’s not quite like the first time, but it’s still such an amazing honor to be able to play with some of the greatest players to ever play the game, people I admire, people that my dad and I sat around the TV watching at home,” said Nash (as per Goal.com).

Other players like Vinicius Junior, Weston McKennie, Paulo Dybala, and Radamel Falcao also took the field. The intersection of Nash’s basketball excellence and soccer passion has created unique perspectives on both sports. Who knows, maybe he could’ve really made something of himself as a soccer player as well.