When you鈥檝e won two NBA MVP awards, and made passing cool again, certain rules don鈥檛 apply.
The normal three-year waiting period after retirement was waived for Steve Nash of Victoria, who enters the sa国际传媒 Sports Hall of Fame tonight during induction ceremonies at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Nash is unable to attend the induction. He is GM of the national basketball team and in Toronto for the opening of the training camp this week to prepare for the last-chance Olympic qualifier for Rio 2016.
Nash released a statement when his induction was announced: 鈥淲hat an honour to be included in this group, with so many people that have set the bar for athletics in sa国际传媒 Our province has so much to offer 鈥� from the ability to be outside, surrounded in perfect places 鈥� to thousands of volunteer coaches that help keep sport accessible. I鈥檝e been in love with sport forever, made most of my best friends on fields and courts and rinks, and I hope this Hall of Fame class will help leave a legacy that engages British Columbians in the same spirit of teamwork and passion to always improve that鈥檚 given me so much joy.鈥�
Speaking on behalf of Nash tonight will be Ian Hyde-Lay, who coached him at St. Michaels University School.
鈥淭his is a significant induction for Steve because this is the province where it all started for him,鈥� said Hyde-Lay.
Also being inducted into the sa国际传媒 Sports Hall鈥檚 Class of 2016 is Dave Cutler of Victoria, the place-kicking legend who won six Grey Cup championships with the Edmonton Eskimos and became the all-time leading scorer in professional football during his 16-season CFL career.
鈥淚 was blessed to be on a team of game-changers,鈥� said Cutler, a Howard Russell Cup-champion rugby player at Mt. View High School (now Spectrum), who switched to football at SFU.
鈥淲e changed the way the game is played in sa国际传媒.鈥�
Those Esks were a special group.
鈥淲e took care of each other . . . we were a band of brothers,鈥� said Cutler.
鈥淲e were equals and treated each other as such. We were a knitted fabric. It all came about because of my sports roots in Victoria.鈥�
Joining Nash and Cutler in the 50th anniversary Class into the sa国际传媒 Hall is pioneering soccer player Harry Manson of Nanaimo, also known as Xul-si-malt, meaning 鈥渙ne who leaves his mark.鈥�
Also being enshrined into the Class of 2016 are World Cup soccer player and former Vancouver Whitecaps/86ers pro Carl Valentine; former PGA golfer Dave Barr; former women鈥檚 national team soccer standout Geri Donnelly; sa国际传媒 Lions coaching and managing legend Wally Buono; former national team women鈥檚 basketball coach Allison NcNeill; NHL Canucks, NBA Grizzlies and 2010 Winter Olympics builder Arthur Griffiths; track coach/builder Diane Clement, who with husband Doug Clement, was the co-mayor of the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games Athletes Village; former Vancouver Sun sports reporter Wendy Long; and the 1994-95 Memorial Cup hockey-champion Kamloops Blazers, the first junior team from any sport to be inducted into the sa国际传媒 Hall.
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