–
THE DEBUT OF THE STEVE NASH FOUNDATION
SHOWDOWN
NEW YORK 2008 – WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
In the back of a New York City taxi, two NYC soccer buddies hatched a plan: invite NBA players and professional soccer players from all over the world to play on their regular pitch, a public park on the Lower East Side. Far fetched? Maybe. But a wild dream made a little more realistic when you consider who those yellow cab’ers were: Steve, a two-time NBA MVP and staple in the local summer rec footie leagues, and U.S. Men’s National Team and then-New York Red Bulls captain Claudio Reyna.
They enlisted the leader of the Promotion Factory’s Bowery League team, Venanzio Ciampa, and plans quickly materialized. With no advanced warning (to fans or NYPD — apologies, again) our first Showdown popped up in epic fashion: thousands crowded our downtown pitch to see some of the biggest names in sport play pickup, including:
Leandro Barbosa (Brazil MNT, Phoenix Suns), Raja Bell (U.S. Virgin Islands MNT, Phoenix Suns), Gregg Berhalter (USMNT, Energie Cottbus, MLS), Venanzio Ciampa, Baron Davis (Team USA, Golden State Warriors), Robbie Fowler (England MNT, Liverpool), Thierry Henry (France MNT, Arsenal, MLS), Rob Jones (England MNT, Liverpool), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast MNT, Chelsea, Hertha), Jason Kidd (Team USA, Dallas Mavericks), Steve McManaman (England MNT, Liverpool, Real Madrid), Steve Nash (Canada MNT, Phoenix Suns), Alessandro Nivola (who wasn’t a footballer but played one awfully well in the 2005 hit Goal!), Claudio Reyna (USMNT, Wolfsburg, MLS), and Simone Sandri (Novara).
About the Steve Nash Foundation