I remember when you were with the Lakers. We were in Detroit and the Pistons were hovering around .500 and we were at a shootaround and you made an offhanded remark like, "This is the type of the game that Steve just wouldn't let us lose." You've coached a lot of great players, but what was it about Nash and you that worked so well? Mike D'Antoni: Well, Steve was going to be good no matter what team he was on. I do think that the way we played and the talent surrounding him made him an MVP, but he was a great player no matter what. One of the reasons why I took the Laker job -- the biggest reason, other than I wanted to coach -- was that Steve was going to be there. So I'm thinking that if Steve and I can get this and put this together, we could be really good. And I remember asking them before I signed, "I know Steve's hurt, when's he coming back?" And they go, "Well, he'll be back by Friday. And if we can get you to sign and you get in here, he'll be almost ready to go right when you get here." That kind of pushed me over the hill. Well, Steve never really came back. And even when he did come back, he was about half himself. And so it was doomed from the start. ESPN
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