Nash laces it up for NY Red Bulls

NBA's Nash gets his kicks with MLS



EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Amado Guevara recognized the newcomer in the Red Bull New York locker room almost immediately. The Honduran midfielder just didn't believe Steve Nash was really there.
The Phoenix Suns guard, who grew up playing soccer, trained with the Major League Soccer team on Thursday morning.

"I recognized him anyway, that kind of personality," Guevara said of the two-time NBA MVP, who shaved his trademark shaggy locks after the season. "With hair or without hair, you know that face. I believe playing basketball I'm better, and playing soccer he's better."

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Nash blended right into the Red Bulls' usual practice on the freshly laid sod at Giants Stadium.

Half-seriously, Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena warned midfielders Danny O'Rourke and Dema Kovalenko — who has broken two opponents' legs and was acquired from D.C. United on Thursday — not to tackle Nash because he didn't "want to send back the MVP of the NBA in an ambulance." Nash was treated gingerly, like a red-jerseyed quarterback. But when O'Rourke asked Nash to join in a postpractice two-touch drill, he accepted with childlike glee.

"I had a blast," said Nash, who supports Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, and now the Red Bulls. "It's a dream come true for me. I'm just a converted soccer player."

Born in South Africa, Nash played youth soccer in Vancouver but switched to basketball in eighth grade. He was swayed by childhood friends and the mystique of Michael Jordan, whose shoe commercials were constantly on television. Yet Nash, who also played prep soccer, said winning the provincial championship is "one of my fondest memories in sports." He'd hoped to play both sports at Santa Clara University, but that idea was quickly nixed by the basketball coach.

Nash's father, John, played professional soccer in South Africa and England. His brother, Martin, a former midfielder for the Canadian national team, is currently with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the United Soccer Leagues' first division.

"Technically, he's good," Arena said, joking that Nash could afford to sign a MLS developmental contract and stay with the Red Bulls. "The thing he has, which he also has in basketball, is a brain. He's a very sharp and alert guy. It's a pleasure to see."

The Red Bulls host FC Barcelona in an exhibition at Giants Stadium on Saturday night. More than 60,000 tickets have already been sold. Nash, who lives in Manhattan with his wife, Alejandra, and their twin daughters during the offseason, is looking forward to it. He attended three early-round World Cup matches in Germany, as well as the semifinals and Italy's victory over France in the championship match.

Nash wouldn't mind subbing into the Barcelona match himself.

"I don't care what my coaches say," he said. "If they ask me to play, I'm playing."

Holy Shit look at his hair!!

What hair?

Nash has always loved football soccer. Have you guys seen that commercial where he's kicking a ball, and he scores in a basket with his head? It's pretty cool.

wow thats pretty cool. i can imagine how much fun nash had. lucky bastard

Good to see steve support other sports.

With or without the hair you recognized him? I took me a while to recognize that he was in the center of the damn picture.

He's had short hair before. Remember when he first came into the league?

Oh yeah. A few weeks ago I was playing NBA 2K2 with my cousins. Nash was still a bench player and he had short hair. Not as short as this though, right?