Thanks, Two Time

— -- Last October, when the Lakers originally announced that Steve Nash would miss the season with a back injury that pretty much signified the end of his playing career, I co-authored a piece for ESPN Insider about Nash's impact on the game. It was a column that focused on the technical aspects of his game: his decision making, his tremendous ability to make a wide array of shots, and of course, his passing.

He ushered in the golden age of point guards that we are witnessing today, and his exploits on the court served as a blueprint for much of today's great point-guard play. I still remember stories of Chris Paul at Team USA camp in Las Vegas requesting Nash pick-and-roll video edits to study and master.

This column is not going to reiterate the words I wrote in October. Rather, this is more of a reflection on his impact on my life. A common refrain that used to be repeated was that Nash's teammates who signed new deals owed him a cut of their earnings, since he made them look their best. Truth be told, I probably owe Steve a check every two weeks as well, as there's no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't have the opportunity to write articles, make podcasts and appear on "SportsCenter" were it not for my time with him.

I don't mean that in the sense that being on one of the most successful franchises of the decade gave me the credibility to work for the Worldwide Leader in Sports (although I'm sure that didn't hurt); rather, I'm talking about the lessons learned about the game, about life, about leadership, about camaraderie, simply from observing greatness on a daily basis.