Steve Nash in talks to lead Canada’s national basketball program

Steve Nash and the governing body of Canadian basketball are in discussions about the NBA star becoming the organization’s executive director, a role similar to the one Wayne Gretzky holds with Hockey Canada.

“I very much hope that there’ll be a day, somewhere down the road, where we’ll be able to tap Steve on the shoulder and he’ll be at a time in his life and his career where it makes sense for him,” Canada Basketball president and CEO Wayne Parrish told the Sun. Parrish said Nash would fill the position of “overseer or executive director” for Canada’s national men’s team as it looks to qualify for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Canada has failed to qualify for the last three Olympics.

“(Nash’s involvement) would be a tremendous thing for the sport in Canada, a tremendous thing for our success internationally as we count down to Rio in 2016 and 2020,” said Parrish. “I feel pretty good thinking Steve will in some way be part of the mix as we move forward."

Nash and former Raptors and Team Canada coach Jay Triano both sit on Canada Basketball’s council of excellence, and a Toronto Sun report this week said Triano would return as coach. Triano is under contract as an assistant with USA Basketball through the London Olympics, but Parrish said he’d like to have Triano back.

“We would love to have (a coach) in place by early 2013. If we can do it sooner, then we will.”