Lakers News: Steve Nash About To Officially Retire From NBA?

Los Angeles Laker Steve Nash may be close to officially announcing the end to his NBA career. He recently admitted to a TSN radio show that a comeback has become an impossible task.

“Unfortunately the NBA game is just a touch too far for me," Nash said to TSN’s The Bro Jake Show. "I play one game and I’m out a month. I have a bunch of back things going on that compromise that nerve."

Nash, 41, has been plagued by injuries since joining the Los Angeles Lakers and has missed the entire season this year. His first two seasons with the Lakers he appeared in just a combined 65 games and was not the player he used to be. Last year Nash averaged just 6.8 points and 5.7 assists, in an average of 20.9 miuntes played-per-game in just 15 appearances. The point guard has dealt with back pains and nerve problems that have caused a range of health issues on the court.

Nash won back-to-back MVP awards as a member of the Phoenix Suns in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and made eight All-Star teams. He was known for his clever passing and efficient shooting. Nash averaged 14.3 points and 8.5 assists throughout his career. His second MVP season he averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists while shooting 50.2 percent from the field, 43.9 percent behind the arc and 92.1 percent from the line.

Nash admitted on the TSN show that while he has tried desperately to return to the game it seems like he cannot recover his health. The former Phoenix and Dallas Mavericks star seems to have accepted his run is up.

"I never worked as hard as I did the last 18 months, two years, twice a day almost every day to try to just give it that one last year," said Nash. "And I finally just had to admit that it’s just not meant to be."

Nash entered the NBA in 1996 after he was picked 15^th overall in the first round of the draft by Phoenix. His draft class was full of famous names including: Allen Iverson (drafted No. 1), Marcus Camby (No. 2), Stephon Marbury (No. 4), Ray Allen (No. 5), Antoine Walker (No. 6), Kerry Kittles (No. 8), Kobe Bryant (No. 13), Jermaine O’Neal (No. 17), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (No. 20) and Derek Fisher (No. 24).

Nash had previously wanted to play one more season and return to form. In 2014 he was the subject of a documentary at Grantland.com called “The Finish Line,” documenting his efforts to end his career on a high note.

It appears there will be no high note at the end for the star point guard, who now serves as general manager for the national basketball team for his home country Canada. That position and the future of the country’s squad have him excited, especially with the 2016 Rio Olympics approaching. The country's roster is full of young stars, including 2015 Rookie of the Year candidate Andrew Wiggins.

“The sky’s the limit, but I am by no stretch writing our name down to go to the Olympics,” Nash said to TSN. “I think our wheelhouse would be a medal-type team for the Olympics after this, 2020.”