One of the perks of being a famous NBA star is that people recognize you at live concerts and sometimes, the performers might even take you on the stage with them. That’s exactly what Nas did with Steve Nash back in 2011.
It was the offseason and Nash linked up with some friends alongside his girlfriend to watch the “Rock the Bells” live in New York. Nash is a huge rap fan and he certainly bumps to some Nas songs. However, the two-time MVP admitted that he never thought about chatting with the legendary rapper or any of the performers at that event.
Eventually, a few common friends got Nash backstage with Nas. The next thing he knew, he was already on the stage vibing as Nas performed.
“To be honest, I went to the show without any type of expectations,” Nash told Grantland in 2012. “I was with my girlfriend and a friend and we had some sort of access pass. All of a sudden, a friend of mine asked us if we wanted to come backstage, where the artists were. So we went back, and it’s pretty funny, I ran into Mateen Cleaves.
“I guess he’s really good friends with Nas, so he comes up and says ‘What’s up?’ And I’m like ‘What’s up, haven’t seen you in a long time.’ And then the next thing I know, we’re meeting Nas. It was before his set, so we were just hanging out for like half an hour, and then right before he went on, Nas was like, ‘You’re coming on stage, right?’ I was thinking I am really gonna regret this if I say no, so yeah, it was pretty cool,'” he reflected.
“One of those experiences you never expect,” he said.
Nash has long been a Nas fan
It was clear as day that Nash had a lot of fun on stage with Nas, even though he didn’t plan to be up there. In a video clip uploaded on YouTube, Steve could be seen having a great time. In fact, Nash even did his little strut dance a la Beastie Boys after Nas acknowledged his presence on stage.
Some may not know, but Nash has long been a fan of Nas. Back in 1994, Nash was featured on Rap City Canada and was asked what song he wanted to play. The then-Santa Clara point guard requested Nas’ ’94 hit song “It Ain’t Hard to Tell.”
Stating the obvious, that explains why Nash was very enthusiastic on stage with Nas that night.
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Nash wanted to be Black
Nash grew up in Canada, but he was deeply influenced by rap and hip-hop culture. It was no surprise that he attended Santa Clara University in California.
Nash also once revealed that he had wanted to be Black ever since he was a kid. Admittedly, the Hall of Famer has been an admirer of successful Black celebrities, which obviously includes NBA players and rappers.
“The first Air Jordan-Spike Lee commercial came out when I was in eighth grade — seventh grade going into eighth — and I was like, ‘This world’s amazing,'” Nash once recalled. “And then — I mean — let’s also just be real…I wanted to be Black.”
“Listen, all the best players in the world were Black. All the best rappers,” he pointed out. “You know? So I’m trying to emulate anyone who had something about them, right?”
All told, it’s quite interesting to discover that behind Nash’s typical white guy appearance lies a rap enthusiast and a Black wannabe.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.