Jan. 31, 2026, 9:00 p.m. CT
When you think of Canadian basketball, you think of two names — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Steve Nash. Both easily make up the two best players from Canada that the game has ever seen.
Nash is a two-time MVP and Hall-of-Famer. He defined the point guard position by being one of the most efficient scorers and an all-time playmaker. Gilgeous-Alexander has broken out as the NBA’s best 30-point scorer. The one-time MVP winner could soon add a second prestigious trophy.
Gilgeous-Alexander has openly talked about over the years how much he admires Nash. Growing up, he was likely his top idol — alongside Kobe Bryant. That’s why it shouldn’t be a shocker to hear Nash recently stick up for Gilgeous-Alexander and his unwarranted reputation.
Every NBA great has a few anti-gimmicks that stick with them. For Gilgeous-Alexander, that’s being called a ‘free-throw merchant’ — even though he has a painfully-average whistle when you look at every other 30-point scorer in league history.
As the Oklahoma City Thunder dropped a 123-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nash went to bat for Gilgeous-Alexander. He was part of Amazon Prime’s three-person broadcast crew for the national TV game.
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“I don’t think it’s factual,” Nash said on Gilgeous-Alexander’s free-throw merchant reputation.
While admirable, NBA Twitter will stick with its jokes. It comes with the territory of all-time dominance. At least Gilgeous-Alexander has the respect of his basketball peers. Anybody who’s ever laced up a pair of sneakers knows just how special a player he’s turned into.