Cuban surprised Nash still playing

 DALLAS _ The most surprised person to see Steve Nash still playing

 is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

Back in the summer of 2004 when the Mavs were deciding whether to let Nash – then a free agent – go, or resign him, Cuban relied on his medical staff to help him make up his mind.

 “I’ll say it now, if you would have told me Steve would have been playing eight years later I would have bet any amount of money you’d be wrong,’’ Cuban said. “But some guys do a great job of taking care of their bodies and taking advantage of the new technology that‘s come along.

“The thing about Steve is his discipline.’’

That discipline led Nash to become the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in the first two seasons after the Mavs chose not to re-sign him.

 “I knew he was discipline, but I thought he would fall apart before it mattered,’’ Cuban said. “All the advice I got from everybody we had was that he was going to fall apart. He proved us wrong -- and more power to him.

“I give him a lot of credit. He proved me definitely wrong.’’

If Cuban had to do it all over again, he said he would do the same thing and not re-sign Nash, who is n ow 37 years old.

“Because we won a championship,’’ Cuban said. “We’ve been good, but at the same time I just learned that guys can play longer now.

“Especially the type of guys that have their heads together as much as their bodies.’’

Dwain Price

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Comments

[Marshall]

Nash would still fit well with the Mavs now. Dependable shooter and pinpoint passer. What J-Kidd has over him is his post game.