You'll rarely hear an ill word spoken of Steve Nash, whose exceptional NBA career looks to be over now that a recurring back injury has cost him the entire 2014-15 season.

That sobering news has scores of players past and present singing the praises of one of the all-time great point guards, and the best player on the planet wishing he could've played with the 40-year-old Canuck at some point in his career.

"His run in Phoenix was unbelievable, man," LeBron James said of Nash, according to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. "The way he played the game of basketball, I wish I could have been a teammate of his for a year or two. Being around a guy like that who is just all about team. ... You can respect somebody like that."

You can understand James' inclination. The best point guard he's ever played with is probably Mo Williams (Until now, anyway. Kyrie Irving is pretty damn good).

And LeBron, like Nash, exemplifies selflessness on the court, mixing exceptional passing skills with great court vision and a preternatural basketball intelligence. The pair would have made a devastating tandem once upon a time (although when Nash was in his prime, he could have made a devastating combo with any teammate who had even a modicum of offensive ability and instinct).

"It's tough," James said of Nash's injury and impending retirement. "You hate to see anyone have the game taken away because of an injury and especially a talent like that. Obviously he's worked his tail off to try to be healthy and play for the franchise. Over his career, he's always kept his body in shape. We all knew that, and for his body to fail him at a time where he feels he still has something to give to the game, it sucks."