Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash left the game against the Timberwolves early on Sunday with back pains. Nash, who was hampered last season by injuries, is scheduled to visit a back specialist on Monday. Could the 39-year-old consider retiring after the 2013-14 season?
Nash left near the end of the second quarter against Minnesota. He didn't return, finishing the game with two points and three assists in 13 minutes. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said he pulled Nash because the veteran was struggling physically on the court.
"I have, obviously, back issues," Nash told reporters after the game on Sunday, via ESPN. "It's nerves coming from my back. You could call it the back, you could call it the nerves. I'm getting the pain in the hamstring. ... It's basically the same thing from the end of last year. ...
"I'm trying to play through it but at the same time be smart and try to overcome what I can and see. But it's taken a bit of a turn for the worse."
Nash has struggled with injuries since last season, when he played in only 50 games because of a broken left leg. The former two-time MVP is off to a slow start (6.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG) in part because of the lingering nerve issues from the injury.
"I still feel that almost every day all over," Nash told ESPN last week. "It's not just in that spot [in his left leg]. It's like the nerve system and nerve roots are on guard. So the whole system in a way is different now. It's just a little more sensitive, and you face different things because of it. So, freaky, freaky thing, but I can't complain. I'm still playing basketball and I'm still effective and I can get better physically and my game will come around the more I play."
It's uncertain how much time, if any, Nash will miss because of his back pains.
Nerve issues, which are unpredictable in terms of recovery time, could spell the end to the All-Star's storied career. For his part, Nash said earlier in the summer he had no retirement plans; he's also guaranteed $9.7 million next season from the Lakers.
Still, with concerns about his back and the lingering effects of his leg injury making him ineffective on the court, the soon-to-be 40 year old could call it quits to his Hall of Fame career after the season if the nerve issues do not improve.
