Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash will miss the entire 2014-15 NBA season with a recurring back injury, the team confirmed on Thursday.
OFFICIAL: Steve Nash has been ruled out for the 2014-15 season due to a recurring back injury. http://t.co/jxirOqrbiv
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 24, 2014
Nash, who is the NBA’s oldest active player at 40 years old, has struggled to stay on the court since he came to Los Angeles via a sign-and-trade deal with the Phoenix Suns in 2012, playing in only 65 of a possible 164 games for the Lakers.
“Being on the court this season has been my top priority and it is disappointing to not be able to do that right now,” Nash said in a statement released on Thursday. “I work very hard to stay healthy and unfortunately my recent setback makes performing at full capacity difficult. I will continue to support my team during this period of rest, and will focus on my long-term health.”
This likely signifies the end of the road for Nash, who is in the final year of the three-year, $28 million deal he signed in 2012. The sure-fire future hall of famer, who has averaged 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and a remarkable 8.5 assists per game over his 18-year NBA career, said during the offseason that he expected this season to be his last.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchakreleased the following statement following Thursday’s news:
“As disappointed as we are for ourselves and our fans, we’re even more disappointed for Steve. We know how hard he’s worked the last two years to try to get his body right for the rigors of the NBA, and how badly he wants to play,” Kupchak said. “But unfortunately he simply hasn’t been able to get there up to this point in time. Steve has been a consummate professional, and we greatly appreciate his efforts.”
For more on sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
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