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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SUNS v LAKERS

May 29, 2010

Steve Nash

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Game Six

L.A. Â– 111
Phoenix - 103

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Steve Nash.

Q. Would it be fair to say that the best team won this series? Talk about your emotions after, what you and your teammates discussed after the game?
STEVE NASH: Totally unfair. No (laughter).
Going into the series, I thought they were the better team, but I thought we had a chance to do something special. You know, I don't know. I think the last four or five days, I've been questioning who the better team is, and have had a lot of belief that maybe we were, or at least maybe we could find a way to win the series regardless. I think that's a tribute to my teammates, their attitude, commitment.
This is about as special a group as I've been a part of, to be picked anywhere from seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 in the west, to go through a stretch in the middle of the season where we weren't very good, and to really finish up so strong and get ourselves to a place where we were almost an overtime away from being up 3-2 coming home.
You know, I got to say, it's a great source of pride for me to get a chance to play with these guys. They're just, you know, such great, great people, great teammates. They've committed absolutely to what we're trying to do.
You know, you want to say we overachieved until you think about it and say, We're a good team. We had a real legitimate chance to beat the Lakers and go to the finals and play for a championship.
I'm sort of rambling praise about my team, but I'm really, really proud. You know, I'm excited I got a chance to have a year like this with these guys.

Q. Is it your hope to keep this group together? Is there anything you can do about it?
STEVE NASH: You know, after everything I just said, yeah, it's pretty clear I'd like to keep the group together. I mean, it's phenomenal to come to work every day with the group of guys we had, everyone fighting for the same thing, you know, proving when you commit to one another and to what we're trying to do, you know, you really can -- all the clichÃ©s really are true. You can maybe be greater than, you know, the sum of your parts.
It was a lot of fun. I'd love to keep it together and keep going.

Q. From a shooter's standpoint, rate that last shot that Kobe made, and the two before that?
STEVE NASH: I'm not sure those are shooter's shots. Those are scorer's, best player in the game type shots. You know, he is incredibly skilled, talented. He's a great competitor, clutch. What can you say? He deserves an incredible amount of praise for his ability.

Q. Early on in your comments, you mentioned the word 'team.' How much of this team effort do you give to Coach Gentry for?
STEVE NASH: Alvin is incredible. You know, it says something a little bit about the nature of our business that he's on his fourth I think job, one of the lowest-paid coaches in the league, and he probably did as good a job if not the best job in the league this year.
He's a phenomenal coach as far as his understanding of the game and ability to put his team in a position to succeed at both ends of the floor. He's even better at, you know, handling his players and building a team, understanding, you know, who he's coaching, the dynamics of the group, the individual, how to make it fun and at the same time how to hold everyone accountable so we improve all the time.
He was phenomenal this year.

Q. How does it feel from your perspective knowing what it took to get to this point, knowing you don't get too many chances to get two victories away from the finals, how many more chances you feel like you'll have to get to this point?
STEVE NASH: Well, who knows. I mean, it was a phenomenal run and we fell short, and it hurts, you know. It hurts a lot. We'll worry about next year next year. The attitude is that you stay in the moment, you stay in the journey. I know it sounds clichÃ©. I don't want to pretend to be Zen or anything, but it's the truth. Especially when you're my age, it's a pleasure to get to this point and have a chance.
Next year I think we're gonna have another steep hill to climb to get back here, but we can do it if we really work hard.
You know, I know everyone makes a deal out of I've never made the finals. You know, maybe I won't. But if I play with teams like I played with this year, the guys I played with, you know, I'll be satisfied with that. It's phenomenally rewarding to be part of a group like this. I think some of the years we made the Western Conference Finals, truth be told, it was the final. Our teams in my career here, the last six, seven years, has been rewarding even though I haven't got to the finals or won a championship.
We have no one to blame, but on the other hand we were phenomenal. We have a lot to be proud of. There will be a lot of disappointment a lot of sting. Really proud of my teammates, coaches, staff, organization, fans, it was great.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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