Is Steve Nash African? No, But His Story Begins There
Lots of basketball fans are curious whether is Steve Nash African, since he was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. His journey from Africa as a baby to becoming an NBA legend in North America has a lot of cool twists and turns.
Even though he was born on the African continent, his family background and where he was raised played a big role in shaping his identity and hoops career.
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Is Steve Nash African?
Steve Nash was actually born in Johannesburg, South Africa, back in 1974. His mom was Welsh, and his dad was English. So even though he was born on the African continent, he doesn’t have African heritage.
When Steve was just a baby, like a year and a half old, his family moved to Canada. First, they lived in Regina, Saskatchewan for a bit. Then they settled down in Victoria, British Columbia. So Steve grew up in Canada from a really young age.
Steve’s dad played professional soccer and moved around to different countries for his job. But he eventually settled with the family in Canada when Steve was still a little kid.
While it’s true that Steve Nash was born in South Africa, Canada is really where he was raised and shaped into the basketball superstar we know today.
So he’s not exactly African, just born there by chance because of his dad’s job.
What is Steve Nash’s race?
Steve Nash is racially white or Caucasian. His racial identity is deeply connected to his European ancestry.
His mom, Jean Nash, was born in Wales, and his dad, John Nash, was from England. They’re both white Europeans. Even though Steve was born in South Africa, he doesn’t have any African ancestry that we know of.
Nash’s mom grew up in Wales, then met his dad when he was playing soccer in London. Then they moved to South Africa for his dad’s career. That’s where Steve came along in 1974.
When Steve was just a toddler, they decided to leave South Africa. His mom didn’t want Steve growing up there during the apartheid era. So they immigrated to Canada to give him a better life.
They lived in a couple of different Canadian cities before settling down in Victoria, British Columbia. So Steve was raised from childhood in Canada. That’s a huge part of his identity and culture too.
So while Steve Nash’s life began in South Africa, his racial identity and upbringing stem from his white British/European family background. And Canada is where he was shaped into the basketball legend he became. His heritage spans a few different places!
Did Steve Nash grow up in South Africa?
Steve Nash was born in South Africa, but he didn’t really grow up there. When he was just a baby, like 1 and a half years old, his family moved to Canada.
Steve’s dad, John Nash, had played professional soccer back in South Africa. Steve grew up in a real sports-focused family. His dad got him playing different sports from a young age – soccer, hockey, basketball, you name it.
Steve was crazy good at soccer, and it was definitely his favorite sport growing up. Playing soccer so much as a kid made him such a good passer on the basketball court later on.
When Steve was a teenager, he had a big decision to make – should he pursue pro soccer or basketball?
He had a chance to go play soccer overseas with a team his dad knew. But watching NBA stars like Michael Jordan and loving movies like He Got Game made basketball his passion. So he went all in on hoops.
That choice took him from being named the top high school athlete in British Columbia to having huge success playing college ball at Santa Clara. And we all know what he accomplished later in the NBA.
Are there any NBA players from South Africa?
Steve Nash is actually the only player from South Africa to make it big in the NBA.
Nash had an incredible NBA career, 8-time All-Star, 2-time NBA MVP, 5-times assists leader. He put up crazy numbers and highlights in the league. In 2018, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Steve Nash remains the only South African-born baller to make the leap to NBA stardom.
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Kenya Lee
