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TORONTO — Leo Rautins couldn't help himself.
The head coach of the Canadian men's basketball team wasn't making a public appeal for Steve Nash to join his team as it attempts to qualify for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
But he'd be happy to keep a uniform for the two-time NBA most valuable player if Nash decides to change his mind and return to international competition for the first time in five years.
“Obviously, the door is open,” said Rautins, who was speaking at a news conference announcing the national team's summer schedule, which will include rare appearances at home, with exhibition games planned for Hamilton and Toronto.
Rautins will be leading a youthful national team into the Olympic qualifying tournament in Athens from July 14 to 20. The top three finishers in the 10-team event will earn the final spots in the Olympic draw in Beijing.
Canada earned its place in the qualifying event with a fifth-place finish at the Tournament of the Americas in Las Vegas last summer, its best international result since Nash retired from international competition in 2003.
If the Victoria-raised point guard chose to come back, he'd be able to play at home for a change.
The Jack Donahue International Classic will feature Canada playing Lebanon on June 30 and New Zealand on July 1 at McMaster University in Hamilton. The series will then shift to Toronto for games against New Zealand and Lebanon on July 4 and July 5, respectively, at Ricoh Coliseum – the first basketball events held at the refurbished arena at Exhibition Place.
Ironically, point guard turned out to be a relative strong point for Canada. Jermaine Anderson of Toronto finished seventh at the Tournament of Americas in assists, averaging four a game and finishing second only to U.S. star Jason Kidd in assist-to-turnover ratio, averaging 4.6 helpers for every bobble.
But Nash would be a welcome addition to any roster, even if the Phoenix Suns star arrived on the eve of the qualifying tournament in Greece.
“I don't think people would mind at all,” said Vlad Kuljanin, a 6-foot-10 centre from Toronto, who recently finished a standout career at the UNC-Wilmington. “He's the best point guard in the NBA. I've never played with Steve, but all the guys who have say he's a great guy and the door is always open for him.”
And while Nash has all but ruled out playing for Canada again, Rautins said he's been in regular contact and wasn't prepared to shut the door yet.
“You have to be careful in addressing Steve Nash, for a lot of reasons. No. 1, he's put in a lot of great years playing for Canada. He's not a spring chicken. He's 34 years old, he's married, he's got kids and he's coming off a gruelling NBA season while battling various physical issues as well,” Rautins said.
“So putting too much pressure on Steve is not a smart thing. We have to acknowledge what he's done as opposed to keep pushing him to do something else.”
Rautins said one of his goals since becoming national team coach in 2005 was to create a team framework where Nash wouldn't be required to do all the heavy lifting.
Philadelphia 76ers centre Samuel Dalembert, who played for Canada for the first time last summer, will return to play this summer. Joel Anthony, a promising rookie with the Miami Heat, is also expected to join the team. As well, nearly every other player in the rotation will return after a full season of top-flight competition on the European professional circuit.
“One guy coming in isn't your saviour,” Rautins said. “Sam Dalembert led our team in minutes last year with 24 minutes a game. International tournaments are gruelling.
“If Steve were to choose to play he'd have a great environment, realistically the most talented team he's ever played on in Canada … and he's not going to be extended or worn out … [but] there is no pressure or expectation.”
