Homecoming: Honorary doctorate for Victoria’s Steve Nash

As a kid, he was a self-described McKinnon Gym rat. He soaked up the expertise of Vikes basketball coaches Ken Shields and Kathy Shields and studied the moves of Vikes great Eli Pasquale, BA ’85.

On Sept. 18, just a jump shot across Ring Road from the gym, Steve Nash, Canada’s most accomplished basketball player, will walk across the stage of the Farquhar Auditorium to accept an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the university that he says not only influenced his athleticism but shaped his whole outlook on life.

“Growing up in a university town gave me access to a whole new realm of experience—fine arts, different cultures—that enriched a global sense of myself and broadened my view,” says Nash. “UVic (stands for) the idea of higher education as something to pursue, something possible, and I credit the university with giving me that inspiration and confidence.”

Nash is a two-time recipient of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award, six-time NBA All-Star and creator of the Steve Nash Foundation for underserved children.

A member of the Phoenix Suns, Nash is known for his exceptional playmaking, ball-handling and shooting skills. In a New York Times feature interview, the word he used to describe his on-court mindset was “unflappable.”

Nash is widely considered to be among the best to have ever played the game and ESPN named him the ninth-best point guard of all time in a poll of basketball experts.

Off the court, Nash is noted for consistently demonstrating the finer qualities of a role model and community leader: integrity, character and humility.

He established the Steve Nash Foundation, a private charity dedicated to assisting underserved children in their health, personal development, education and enjoyment of life in BC, Arizona and Paraguay (the birthplace of his wife, Alejandra Nash).

Since 2005, the foundation’s BC Grants initiative has provided annual funding to youth-focused non-profit organizations across the province. On Sept. 19, the foundation’s “Showdown in Downtown” will bring together basketball and soccer stars for a fundraising soccer game in Vancouver.

In 2008, the Steve Nash Foundation received the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy from the US-based Sports Philanthropy Project and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Among his other honours, Nash earned the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s Athlete of the Year in 2005. In 2007, he received the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for outstanding service and dedication to the community. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and has been selected to the Order of British Columbia.

Honorary degrees are conferred by the University of Victoria Senate based on nominations received from members of the university community. Recipients are selected for their exceptional records of distinction and achievement in scholarship, research, teaching, the creative arts, public service or other outstanding personal qualities.

The special convocation was scheduled in September because spring and fall convocation ceremonies conflict with the NBA season.

Steve Nash’s honorary degree presentation will be webcast live at www.uvic.ca/visitors/event on Sept. 18, starting at 10:30 a.m.