Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Larry Bird and… Steve Nash?

It is entirely possible that Nash is about to garner an accomplishment that eluded even Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson: three straight MVP awards. If Nash pulls off this gigantic feat, he will be in very large company. And when I say large, I mean Goliath-sized proportions.

Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game (I guess he was playing the Washington Wizards), Bill Russell won 11 NBA titles, including an impressive eight straight and Larry Bird won two Finals MVPs and was the most clutch shooter not named MJ. Chamberlain and Russell were pioneers of the game and literally took the NBA to a new level. Bird was a part of the tribunal containing Jordan and Magic, which built the game we love today into mainstream America. And now feisty little Steve Nash is half a season away from NBA immortality.

In a big man’s game, the small, statuesque point guard is often overlooked by many as the best player in the NBA. Yet, Nash has two awards that say otherwise. The most peculiar thing about Nash is that he is supposed to be past his prime at the tender age of 31, but has enjoyed his best years after Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban felt Nash was too old to command the money the Suns were willing to fork over.

Nash, however, went on to show the NBA that he had more than enough left in the tank. Since leaving Dallas, he has seen his assists per game jump up by three while playing with less talent. While in Dallas, Nash was coupled with his best friend, Dirk Nowitzki, who is now among Nash’s top challengers for MVP.

In Phoenix, however, Nash was the big man on campus and ended up making household names out Shawn Marion, Amaré Stoudemire, and Leandro Barbosa (I thought he was a Ninja Turtle). Last year, I was so set against Nash receiving the award because I didn’t believe he was the best player in the NBA -- Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony: basically you get the picture. I could have picked a whole stable of players I thought not only were better, but more deserving of the award. Bryant was surrounded by the junior varsity mints and James’s team couldn’t defend their way out of a wet paper bag. Yet, both of them led their inferior teams to the postseason. If I might add, the Lakers had Mr. Nash’s team on the ropes 3-1 but failed to deliver a knockout blow.

So, no, Nash wasn’t my favorite for MVP. I wanted nothing to do with his bandwagon. However, as we are approaching the intermission of the 2006-07 NBA season, I am asking permission to board the Steve John Nash Bandwagon. I have been blinded by the bling of Vanessa Bryant’s I’m sorry ring. I no longer feel that Nash is below the rest of the MVPs in history; actually Nash is probably the gold standard.

While his defense leaves a lot to be desired, his offensive prowess is impeccable. Nash is carving up defenders at an alarming 11.4 assists per game, and if that wasn’t enough, he is shooting 49 percent from behind the arc and scores 19.6 points per game.

After a horrendous 0-5 start, the Phoenix Suns have scorched the opposition in 30 out of the next 33 games, including two 10-plus-game winning streaks. While the Suns have continued to play average defense, their offense continues to blaze opposing defenses, and Nash is leading the way.

Unlike his days at Dallas, Nash has taken control of this young team and molded them with his feisty temperament. Everyday, Nash and his fellow teammates are picking up fans like a snowball rolling down hill. I can’t turn on a TV or read a newspaper without reading Suns-related headlines. Meanwhile, Nash continues to dominate his counterparts.