By Mike Fisher -- DallasBasketball.com
He is the Mavs’ slowest talker, and the Mavs’ lowest talker. You’ve heard Steve Nash’s droning, whispery approach to postgame media sessions, and if you think he does those at his own measured pace, you should see how long it takes before he actually returns to his locker to allow for the interviews.
Nash is capable of saying some terrifically insightful things after games. But first comes his shower, and then maybe a snack, then a private conversation with a teammate or staffer. Then he takes care of some personal grooming, getting that hair exactly right, putting in a great deal of care to make it appear that he doesn’t care. Then comes his wardrobe, T-shirt and jeans or sweats, which looks like it might have been balled up in the glove compartment of his car but is again all part of a very deliberate statement.
Then, and only then, after he’s cooled himself way down, does he speak publicly.
Which brings us to Antoine Walker as a Knick vs. Steve Nash as a Sun.
KINGS NEWS FROM SACRAMENTO BEE
In the last few days have come two stories, one from New York regarding Walker’s future there and one from Phoenix regarding Nash’s future there.
Now, Walker’s recently-voiced displeasure over playing time isn’t THE reason a NY paper is suggesting that the Knicks’ signing of Kurt Thomas is the first domino in a game that might result in Thomas ending up with the Mavs next year in exchange for ‘Toine.
But it is the kind of behavior that leads to one’s name being thrown around like this. One Monday night comment about wanting to play more, registered following a home victory, and now this baby has legs. Soon will come the stories of Walker being a ‘malcontent’ and a cancer’ (he is neither), and the stories will regenerate across the country.
Going into Thursday’s visit to Sacramento, the Dallas paper is now 3-for-3 on ‘Walker-playing-time’ stories as its headline story. (Prediction: Whether Walker gets 18 minutes or 38 minutes or 48 minutes, it will be a headline again Thursday).
And Walker made it this way, causing coach Don Nelson to work overtime on damage control.
"I'm not going to be intimidated by somebody yelling or screaming or pouting,’’ Nellie said. “That doesn't affect me. I'm going to do what's right as a coach. That's not going to get him any more or less playing time.’’
Antoine Walker is an effervescent guy, an open guy, an emotional guy. You’re a media guy who wants to hang around two hours before the game and b.s. with a player? Walk is there for you – while Nash will politely decline most pregame interviews.
Nash’s cool approach comes in handy, especially after games. For the media, grabbing an athlete immediately following a win or loss is golden, because that athlete is an exaggerated version of himself, so high or low, so happy or sad, so relieved or angry. Nash avoids talking much during those intense times.
Listen, then, to what Nash told a Phoenix newspaper about the chances of him returning as a free agent to the Suns, his first pro team, in a city where his parents still live in the home he bought for them.
"I loved playing there and I think it's a great team," Nash said Monday when the Suns were in Dallas. "I'll definitely keep my options open, but my No. 1 goal is to stay with this team. I've put in a lot of time with these guys, and I want to take it further."
The end. There will be no three- or four-day follow-ups in the Arizona Republic. Nash droned and mumbled exactly the right quote, told some sort of cooperative truth, said nice things about Phoenix and then just slightly nicer things about Dallas.
Perfect.
Meanwhile, poor Antoine Walker, having let his emotions get the best of him and then putting his sneaker in his mouth, has to read in the Dallas Morning News on Wednesday that he boarded the plane for Sacramento and ‘declined to speak to media members.’
So maybe he is learning something after all.