Steve Nash’s appearance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday was living proof that the sports gods have a wicked sense of humor.
The retired Basketball Hall of Famer Nash was sitting courtside at American Airlines Center for the showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics. Nash, a former Mavs All-Star who played for the team from 1998-2004, was cheering on Dallas alongside his old co-star Dirk Nowitzki. The duo were shown on the ABC broadcast of the game in the fourth quarter.
Steve Nash is only fired up because Dirk elbowed him in the chest pic.twitter.com/ACVS90Ne80
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 13, 2024
But social media also joked about the funny reality with Nash cheering on the Mavs — he was having to root for Dallas guard Kyrie Irving as well.
Steve Nash having to root for Kyrie Irving is hilarious https://t.co/oHZvLs9Ukr
— A:A (@Swarlayzers) June 13, 2024
Nash was formerly the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2020-22 and coached Irving during his time there. The two infamously butted heads in Brooklyn, and there were reports that Irving was actively disrespecting Nash during their time together. When Nash got fired in late 2022, another report claimed that Irving had been completely ignoring Nash towards the end.
Irving himself didn’t last much longer in Brooklyn after that, getting traded to the Mavs in Feb. 2023. But the two crossed paths again on Wednesday night in Dallas, and it is probably safe to say that there were not any pleasantries exchanged.
