He is the ninth player to win consecutive Most Valuable Player trophies1; he and Magic Johnson are the only point guards2 to win the award more than once.

Canadian Steve Nash, 32, was given the MVP award for the second year on May 8, 2006.

"I have to pinch3 myself," Nash said. "I couldn't believe it last year, and to do it again is even more difficult to understand."

"Steve is not just a great player," said Jerry Colangelo, chairman of the Suns. "He's one of the few players who I believe make everyone around him better."



From Africa to the NBA

Nash was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on Feb. 7, 1974. Shortly the family moved to Canada.

As a child, Nash was excellent at soccer and hockey. He came from a family of athletes. His father John and brother Martin both played professional soccer in England.

However, Nash turned his attention to basketball in Grade Eight. He got interested and would spend hours studying taped NBA games in order to learn players' moves.

When his college coach Dick Davey said he could work on his defence, Nash worked tirelessly to turn himself into a good defender. When someone told him he didn't have great ball handling skills, he took to bouncing a tennis ball everywhere he went.

His diligence was so great that Dick said，"I've never seen a player spend more time trying to get better. We would practise for two hours, and he would come back to the gym at 11 o'clock that night and practise until one o'clock in the morning. He made more demands on himself than a coach would, and he made the other players work harder."

In the 1996 NBA draft, Nash went 15th to the Phoenix Suns. In 1998, he joined the Dallas Mavericks.

Nash became a star in six seasons with the Dallas Mavericks(1998-99 through 2003-04). Nash enjoyed his time in Dallas, but Mavs owner Mark Cuban decided not to match the six-year, $60-million free-agent contract that the Suns offered Nash in July 2004. Nash signed with Phoenix, and quickly found that his new team was loaded with4 out-of-this-world5 athletes such as forward Shawn Marion and center Amare Stoudemire.

"The situation was perfect," says Nash, who was a two-time All Star with the Mavs. "I had a young team that needed me and believed in me, and I had some unbelievable teammates."

Nash is one of the most creative playmakers in the NBA. He'll deliver a pass every way possible-underhanded, backhanded, or by leaping to gain a surprise advantage over the defense.



Team-first Attitude

Nash elevates6 the play of his teammates in a number of ways. By always attacking on the fast break, he gets the ball to Sun players before defenses can set up. He knows his teammates' playing styles so well that he understands exactly when and where to pass the ball to them for an open shot.

Nash's 15.5 points per game in the 2004-05 regular season were the fewest by a league MVP in 36 seasons. "There's not a selfish bone in his body," says Phoenix big man Brian Grant.

Yes, Nash can score: He has a sweet 3-point shot and midrange jumper (just check out his 23.9 points per game in last season's playoffs). But passing is what Nash loves best.

"I have the skills to come down and get a good shot every time I want to, but I still feel uncomfortable about it," he says. "I hate coming down and taking a shot because that means my teammates made a trip without doing anything. I want them to feel a part of it."



Keeping Life Fun

Nash has always played sports for fun. As a kid, he played soccer and basketball. But as the games in his NBA career have grown more important, Nash is stubborn about keeping basketball fun so he can maintain his enthusiasm.

Nash doesn't seek publicity. But he doesn't mind using his celebritystatus to discuss issues that he feels strongly about. During the 2003 All-Star Weekend, he wore a T-shirt that read, "No War, Shoot For Peace," and spoke out against the approaching war in Iraq. He's also a big reader, enjoying everything from J.D. Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye to the political writings of Karl Marx.

"The biggest thing is finding fun and inspiration7 every day," says Nash. "Some days you don't feel like working, but you find a way to make it fun and inspiring-get your spirits up, and then go out and do your work."



Valuable Nash

The 2005-06 season presents the biggest challenge of Nash's career. Stoudemire is absent with a knee injury. Nash helped the Suns win a second straight Pacific Division crown. He made career highs in scoring (18.8 points per game), rebounding (4.2) and field goal8 percentage (.512) during the 2005-06 NBA regular season. He also topped the league in free throw percentage (.921), assists (10.5 per game) and finished sixth in three-point percentage at .439.

"A lot is made about me making my teammates better, and I really believe that my teammates make me a lot better, too," said Nash."I'm fortunate enough to play with great players. I owe a lot to them, a lot to the organization, and a lot to the city."

Make no mistake9: Winning a title is tops on Nash's agenda10. "What else can you really accomplish, except for having fun?"he asks, before answering his own question. "Winning a championship is the only thing left, because I'm pretty good at having fun every day."



Quotes

"I am not too accusatorial11 or defensive12 by nature. I have always been kind of philosophical13 about it, remembering that it is just a game. People take these things too seriously."

"A lot of people can relate to me because I'm normal size and came from humble14 beginnings. It's probably easier to relate to than some guy 6 foot 7 who can jump out of the gym." (Nash is 6'3" (1.91 m) tall.)
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