“I’m retiring,” Steve Nash wrote in his farewell letter on The Players Tribune.

We knew those words were coming, it was only a matter of time. We can look and say the timing was weird, but to be honest, the time could not have been better. For a 41-year old who has only played 65-games in the span of three season, retirement was coming but the question was when?

We can talk about the last couple years, or the next couple years, but the last few weeks has made this announcement that much more perfect. We witnessed the OFSAA championships – young Canadian high school talent. Then we had the CIS Final Eight – a University basketball league on the raise. The finals were held right in the heart of Canada Basketball’s main home Toronto. This past weekend we saw 28 Canadians in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. Tyler Ennis got his first NBA career start a couple weeks ago, Tristian Thompson is heading to the NBA Playoffs for the first time in his career, and Andrew Wiggins continues to show he is an NBA star in the making. Topped off with Nash’s retirement.

We are in a golden age of Canadian talent. For two years straight a Canadian has gone first overall in the NBA Draft. The new generation has looked at Nash and Vince Carter as the reason they play and love basketball. Hockey is still the Canadian sport, however, basketball is not too far behind.

Nash’s career as a basketball player might be over, but his importance to Canada basketball continues to grow stronger. As a player he was an impact for Canada’s National team. He’s one of the reasons Ennis, Thompson, Wiggins, and among others have become successful in the NBA.

The Johannesburg, South Africa born, but Victoria, British Columbia raised NBA All-Star now turns to spending more time with his family, but still has a huge role with the country’s National Team. As the General Manager, Nash has to work with his staff and head coach Jay Triano to raise the currently 25th ranked basketball country.

However, today we remember the career of Nash. We remember him for what he has achieved as an individual and for basketball in this country. Miami Heat’s General Manager Pat Riley has been nicknamed The Godfather by some, and today it’s time we labelled Nash as The Godfather of Canadian basketball.

The 18-year veteran spent a majority of his letter listing people who have had huge roles in his journey from a young basketball player to an NBA Most Valuable Player. It was almost like a thank you letter. Only hours after Nash’s retirement was announced, many NBA players took to social media to thank the point guard. He was an inspiration and role model to them.

Nash was always known as a player who “had it in him” to become great like his “hero” Isiah Thomas but he had to “find it”. He played High School at Saint Michaels University School in Victoria and his college days were spent at Santa Clara University. His name was called at the 1996 NBA Draft as the 15th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns.

He spent his rookie and sophomore campaigns with the Suns before a trade to the Dallas Mavericks. Nash grew as a point guard in Dallas rising alongside Dirk Nowitizki before going back to the Suns as a free agent. His second tenure in Phoenix (eight seasons) was arguably his best years as an NBAer before heading to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers.

Nash’s career will go down as the greatest Canadian Athlete of all-time, even if he was injured for his final seasons, never won an NBA title, and never put on a Toronto Raptors uniform. He was an eight time all-star. He won back-to-back MVPs in the 2004-05 and 05-06 seasons. He ranks 30th in most career games played (1,217), 78th in total career points (17,387), third in career assists (10,335), 15th in career three pointers made (1,685) and he has the best free throw percentage in NBA history at 90.43%.

Most importantly Nash has become a legend, an icon, and a Godfather. He’ll always be a son, a brother, a father and one of the most inspiring figures to come out of Canada. There’s so many stories that can be told about Nash and so much can be talked about his journey to the top. Nash will forever be the beginning of an up raise in Canada basketball. There’s no doubt he will continue to do great things for this sport and this country, as he has done so before. That being said it is only right to end this by saying Thank You Mr. Nash.