Back before the start of the 2012-13 National Basketball Association season, the Toronto Raptors were applying a full-court press in an attempt to lure Canadian basketball icon Steve Nash to sign back in his native land.

Nash chose instead for the brighter lights in Los Angeles and came to terms with the Lakers.

With the way things have turned out the Raptors must be emitting a huge sigh of relief.

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The two-time NBA most-valuable-player is now 39, and there's a lot of hard mileage on that frame.

Now comes word that Steve Nash is out -- again -- for at least the next two weeks, his wonky back acting up again.

Nash has been experiencing persistent nerve pain in his back, a condition he has described as nerve root irritation.

On Monday, Nash was examined by a L.A. back specialist and on Tuesday he will have an epidural shot to try to relieve his misery.

Nash tried the same remedy toward the end of last year, with limited success.

Nash has been averaging just 6.7 points and 4.8 assists after Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he had to depart early. He's shooting just 26.1 per cent from the floor.

"A lot of wear and tear, and a lot of mileage," Nash said. "There's a lot going on."

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From the old to the new, there has been a lot of hype to start the U.S. college basketball season where most everybody it seems has already declared that Toronto native Andrew Wiggins to be the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

Not so fast, said one NBA scout, who declares that the jury is still out on just how good Wiggins might be.

One even went as far to suggest that Wiggins is the "third-best freshman" to be suiting up for Kansas this season, at least until he learns to play hard all the time.

Steven Stamkos injury had to stomach

The images are brutal depicting Tampa Bay Lighting star Steven Stamkos writhing in agony on the ice after crashing his right leg into the net during a game in Boston.

And the news did not get any better as Stamkos, considered one of the best players in the National Hockey League, suffered a broken tibia that will require surgery.

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Stamkos will be sidelined for some time and his participation for Canada's Olympic hockey team is also in jeopardy.

The Lighting will obviously miss Stamkos and Tampa Bay's chances for the playoffs have dimmed considerably.

Good news, bad news type of day in Tampa Bay

It was a weird kind of a day to be a sports fan in the Tampa Bay area.

As much of a downer as the injury to Stamkos was, football fans were sent into state of delirium as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won for the first time this season, dropping the Miami Dolphins 22-19.

Just how good did the victory feel?

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According to Gary Shelton, writing in the Tampa Bay Times, the food will taste a little better today and the air will smell a little cleaner as a result of the Buccaneers victory

The sub-plot to the game was the Richie Incognito affair, the suspended Miami lineman who has been the focus of intense attention after a teammate left the team complaining of overt harassment.

Miami owner Dan Ross used words such as "nightmare" and "appalling" to describe the situation the Dolphins find themselves in.

Ross said he plans to meet face to face with tackle Jonathan Martin , the player who bolted the team two weeks ago, in an effort to hear personally what he has to say on the matter.

For his part, Incognito has defended his actions, saying the treatment of Martin was just a normal part of NFL locker room culture.

The Globe's Robert MacLeod curates the best of sports on the web most weekday mornings.