Steve Nash, who has twice won the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) honor, has finally welcomed another Canadian player to inherit his glory, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Shai, who won the MVP award this season, not only made the entire Canadian basketball community excited, but also excited Nash. In a video press conference on Thursday, Nash said: "This means a lot to me. Seeing them succeed and saying that I have influenced them, this kind of recognition is the highest compliment."

As the MVP winner in 2005 and 2006, Nash has always been a symbol of Canadian basketball. He admitted that Shai has become his favorite player to watch: "I hope he can continue to maintain this state, continue to break through, and continue to show his style for the country, the team and himself. He is really outstanding."

In his MVP acceptance speech, Shai specifically mentioned Nash, calling him his childhood inspiration. Shai said: "He was the first Canadian basketball player I knew. If there weren't people like him, it would be hard for us to think of entering the NBA as a real dream when we were young."

Today, this dream is continuing. Shai is not only the league's scoring leader, but also led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a record of 68 wins and 14 losses. More importantly, Shai led Canada to win the bronze medal in the 2023 World Cup, winning a ticket to the Paris Olympics and becoming an indispensable core of the national team.

From Nash to Shay, Canadian basketball is on the rise. In Nash's heart, what is more important than his past personal honors is to see the next generation stand on a higher stage and remember that he has appeared in their lives.