Rakeville Times: Push in your chips

Steve Nash drives the lane, and his team towards a shot at the playoffs. Can the surly Canadian sharpen his new porcelain teeth on the parquet?


Push in your chips
by Aviator McShadeless, Rakeville Times

All it took was a chipped tooth to propel the Crows back into the playoff hunt. Early in a game against Peoria, Rakeville point guard and growing cancer, Steve Nash, received a blow in the face, chipping a tooth. The injury peaked his frustration. Nash, who demanded a trade weeks earlier, threw aside all restraints and took out his anger on the Bricklayers defense.

“He exploded in a way I’ve never seen a player explode before,” said coach and general manager Tim Legler. “There was so much anger for our team as much as our opponents. I wasn’t sure if he was going to turn on our own guys. It had been such a hard season for him, and I thought this was the beginning of a mental breakdown.”

Mental breakdown? More like a five game winning streak. Nash’s fiery response enlivened the young, timid Crows. Down 3-6 heading into the second half, Nash shot lights out. When he was double or triple teamed, he would fire passes to his teammates with a sneer.

“I was afraid to miss,” said Gerald Wallace, Rakeville’s burgeoning small forward. “He didn’t want to get rid of the ball, so we had to prove it was worth the effort or receive his little fist in our face… or chest. He probably can’t reach that high.”

Rakeville went on to win 5-4, their first win of the season. After the game, and a few beers later, Nash had calmed down.

“For the first time I realized we had EHBA caliber players on this team,” said Nash recounting the turnaround. “They just need to be taught how to win.”

Nash called a team meeting the next day and apologized for his behavior the night before, and the weeks before. He dedicated himself to the team, rescinding his demand for a trade. He then critiqued his fellow teammates in a way that only a savvy veteran could do.

“I tell them what I want for them,” said Legler, “but Nash could tell them how they could work together to reach those goals. He is the engine of this offense, and he knows where the parts should be.”

Rakeville when on to upset the first place Colorado Bears the next game, then later the first place Minnesota CoreyWolves enroute to five straight wins. Along with Nash and “The Bullet” Rashard Lewis, Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson established themselves as stars in the league, with Center Andrew Bogut knocking on the door.

“I knew someone would emerge in this field of talented players, but I never thought three would,” said Legler. “We have a playoff team now.”

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