Only the most underrated NBA MVP could make the fiercest of fans falter. Asia Avinger established herself as the front woman of the Lady Bulldogs, but her heart is in LA with the Lakers. Yet when she sat with Brandon Gutman on EssentiallySports‘ Dual Threat Show, it was the Steve Nash hype parade. The same Steve Nash who brutalized the Lakers time and again. We’re all allowed to love rival teams and players, but Avinger makes a sport out of double-timing the Kobe-led Lakers and their nemesis. Even our boy, BG12, had to confirm if she was a closeted Phoenix diehard under the purple and gold.

The Georgia star is drawn to players of a certain caliber. While she’s a fan of the Lakers as a whole, Steve Nash stole the show. Like, literally, when he outgunned the Lakers in a playoff setting. It would be the defining moment for Avinger. So when BG12 asked when did she decide Steve Nash was her all-time fave, it was, of course, the 2007 playoffs.

Avinger: ” I would probably say this goes back to when I was really young. It was probably in 2007, when it was Game 4 against the Lakers and he dropped 23 assists. 23 assists is crazy! Like, wow! Like, you can score 23 points in a game, but 23 assists, that’s unheard of.”

Very accurately put. Avinger would be five, going on six, when the Phoenix Suns and the Lakers met for the second season running in the playoffs in April 2007. Nash dropped a playoff career-high 23 dimes in the Suns’ Game 4 victory. He recorded a regular season-high 22 assists against the Knicks in 2006. He came off back-to-back NBA MVP wins in 2005 and 2006 and this just proved why he’s been the most valuable player to suit up for the Suns.

Not only that, in the 2006 postseason, the Suns came back from a 1-3 series deficit to win 4-3. The two teams faced each other yet again in the 2010 playoffs but Kobe and the Lakers got the better of Phoenix this time, winning 4-2 in the Conference Finals. So it’s understandable why Avinger, or anyone, growing up at that time would become a fan of Nash.

Steve Nash beats big Lakers stars on Asia Avinger’s list

Avinger grew up in Long Beach and previously played in San Diego. She was an assistant coach at Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Academy too and had all the markers of a Lakers diehard. But in her college bio, she lists Steve Nash as her favorite athlete.

When Avinger transferred to Georgia, she made her fave clear. Knowing how unorthodox it is to not pick Kobe or LeBron, she told the Bulldogs publication Nash was “poised, he could shoot, get assists, he could do a little bit of everything.” He made games an interesting watch. It’s why Asia used to make her parents play Nash and the Suns’ games on their TV. For good reason, too.

If you put his coaching career aside, Nash was as underrated as a player could get. In his prime, though, he made 8 All-Star appearances, mostly alongside Bryant. He made All-NBA seven times, and he led the league in assists for five seasons. Mostly against a prime Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in the league. You can’t forget the times Shaq came very close to falling to Nash and why Big Diesel still holds a big grudge against him. Wonder what Nash feels about his No. 1 fan.