Steve Nash Is More Than Happy Just Being a Dad

Steve Nash enjoyed one of the finer careers in basketball history, but he wants you to know that he’s moved on from that now. Nash has five children, ranging from three to 18 years old, which keeps him plenty busy. After his coaching tenure with the Brooklyn Nets came to an end in November 2022, Nash and his family stuck around, and they still reside in Cobble Hill. As he gets further and further removed from his life in the NBA and more involved in his children’s lives, Nash has found other ventures as well. The most recent—a collaboration with the apparel brand Legends on a clothing line that includes father-son matching outfits—was years in the making.

Aptly named Little Legends, the collection includes T-shirts, swim trunks, and athletic shorts for both children and adults. Nash has been involved with Legends in some capacity for a decade now, but he told GQ that he never really envisioned himself being a fashion guy. Knowing that his playing career spanned multiple eras—not just on the hardwood, but in clothing, as well—Nash has accepted that some of his old looks haven’t aged super well. But true to fatherly form, he’s more concerned with making sure the people in his life are happy than he is with looking hip.

Before celebrating Father’s Day with his gaggle of children, Nash got on Zoom to discuss fatherhood, clothes, and the 2006 club banger that he calls “a huge honor.”

GQ Sports: How did this collaboration with Legends come together?

Nash: I invested in the brand maybe ten years ago. So, it’s been a long time, but I’m also just a fan of the brand and Scott [Hochstadt], who founded it. They do a great job of that crossover between function and fashion. Functional streetwear, as someone who is really active, is right up my alley. [smirks] I’m not up on all the terms. Functional streetwear came right off the top.

I invested in Legends when it was just a sock company. They’ve just continued to add products, more sportswear, it’s been a fun journey to watch them grow from an early stage. They do a great job with the design and the aesthetic. I love how functional it is. It’s been a great investment for me.

Are you particular about socks?

I like socks. I wouldn’t say super particular at all, but I do like socks.

As a dad, do you take pride in having something like this that you can share with your kids?

Yeah, it’s cool! You also can, like, mix and match. We’re not totally twinning every day, although that’s fun too. I like that the pieces are pretty interchangeable. There’s playful colors for summer and all that stuff. It’s cool that we have some of the same pieces in our wardrobe, though. When I’m wearing them, he can be like, “You’re wearing our shorts!” It’s cool for dads to be able to connect with their kids in that way.

What do your kids think of your fashion sense?

Uhh, I think they’d probably be like, “Meh.” You know? They probably think I’m just hanging in there. Some days are better than others, and there’s definitely some days where they’d say I could do better. I think they’d give me a passing grade, but certainly not with flying colors. I don’t think my daughters are wearing the latest garb for their age anyways, so I’m in the safe zone. I’m not exactly known for my fashion, but I’m not embarrassing!

I assume being a dad is basically your full-time job at this point? Are there things you’ve started doing for the first time?

You know, I’ve always been a real hands-on dad. I really enjoy being a parent, obviously it’s the hardest job in the world, but I’ve always enjoyed it. We have a close-knit family. Nothing has really changed in that respect. I have a little more time, but I’m working hard every day as well. We’re on the go. But it’s a blessing to be at all my kids’ practices, take them to the school bus, pick them up, all that stuff. That’s been a reward as well.

That Cobble Hill school scene is competitive!

[chuckles] My kids have really enjoyed it. New York is tough for schools, but we were lucky to get into a good school, which has been low stress. Other things are quite stressful! But the school situation has been good.

Were you involved in the Little Legends design process?

Not a lot. I was just excited that they were going to design a father-son line around Father’s Day. Scott asked if I wanted to be involved in some of the [marketing] material, that was a fun thing to do for me and my son. They talked to me about it pretty early. When I took a look at the stuff, I thought it was really cool, and it could be cool for fathers and sons to nerd out with some crossover outfits. Like I said, I love the brand and love to support it. When you have young kids, it’s always fun to have a playful part of your wardrobe and something you can share with your kids. I think it’s a great idea. I’m excited for it.

Part of that marketing material was a Little Legends photoshoot with your son, Luca. How was that?

He’s at that age—five years old—where it’s like, “Okay, you ready? We’re gonna start shooting now.” Cheeeeeese. [laughing] He can’t produce a smile, he just produces some weird face. That made it hilarious.

Part of the goal for this collection is “to give insight into your upbringing, how sports and childhood lessons shaped you, and what you’re passing down to the next generation.” Can you shed a little light on that? What was your relationship like with your father?

My dad had a huge impact on me. I had two great parents and was fortunate to grow up in a kind of idyllic house and community. My dad was really into sports, so he definitely helped foster that passion, especially the creative side of sports. That was his nature. He was a soccer player who definitely appreciated the subtleties. He really only coached us on behavior. Were we good teammates? Did we listen to our coach? Did we compete? I think he instilled really good values in us.

My mom was the same. She’s super competitive, but also was more interested in the way we behaved. It was a great upbringing. I think I learned a tremendous amount. I had a great support system in my parents, whether it was just observing the way they treated people, or the way they wanted us to approach things. There’s definitely that pressure not to humiliate the family name.

Do you notice little bits of them in your own parenting style?

I hope so. When I watch my kids play sports, I’m definitely less apt to be worried about the outcome than I am their effort and body language. That’s definitely rubbed off on me. Frankly, I think those values were really important pieces of me as a player. I wanted to make everyone feel comfortable and create a great environ