Stephen John Nash, OC (Order of Canada), OBC (Order of British Columbia) (born 7 February 1974), is a Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nash, who was born in South Africa to British (United Kingdom) parents but grew up in Canada, enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara University (Santa Clara Broncos#Mens basketball). In his four seasons with the Broncos, the team made three NCAA Tournament (NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Championship) appearances, and Nash was twice named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year.

After graduating from Santa Clara as the teams all-time leader in assists (assist (basketball)), Nash entered the 1996 NBA Draft and was selected as the 15th pick by the Phoenix Suns. He made a minimal impact, and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1998. By his third season with the Mavericks, he was voted into his first NBA All-Star Game and had earned his first All-NBA selection. Together with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley, Nash led the Mavericks to the Western Conference (Western Conference (NBA)) Finals the following season (2002-03 NBA season). However, he became a free agent after the nbay2003app=season and returned to the Phoenix Suns.

In the nbay2004app=season, Nash led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals, and was named the leagues Most Valuable Player (NBA MVP) (MVP). He was named MVP again in the nbay2005app=season, and missed out on a third consecutive MVP title to Nowitzki the next season (2006-07 NBA season). Named by ESPN in 2006 as the ninth greatest point guard of all time, Nash has led the league in assists and free-throw percentage at various points in his career. He is also ranked as one of the top players in league history for three-point shooting (three-point field goal), free-throw shooting, total assists and assists per game.

Nash, who is married, is involved in charity and humanitarian work, and he is also interested in soccer and film-making. In 2006, Time (Time (magazine)) named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. On 28 December 2007 it was announced that Nash would receive Canadas highest civilian honour, the Order of Canada, and on 3 June 2008, it was announced that Nash would receive a star on Canadas Walk of Fame. On 18 September 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Victoria, in recognition of his athletic achievements and his philanthropic work on behalf of young people through the Steve Nash Foundation.