His smile and his eyes widened as Steve Nash entered Oak Street Elementary School in Inglewood this week to honor students’ efforts to reduce waste.

The images seemed familiar, Nash’s personality partly explaining how he gathered two NBA MVP awards and climbed to third place on the league’s all-time assists mark. Nash empowered those around him with his selflessness and positive energy.

But Nash’s pleasant vibe also juxtaposed his feelings about the past year, his 2014-15 season with the Lakers ending before it started because of persistent back issues that soiled his three years here. Nash called it “a really dark period for me,” knowing his combined 65 appearances in two seasons with the Lakers soured an otherwise storied 19-year NBA career that will earn him an eventual Hall of Fame induction.

“I don’t know if I’ll be past it for some time,” Nash said in an interview with Los Angeles News Group. “But you realize you have to move forward.”

So about a month after officially announcing his intention to retire, Nash has dabbled in various things to keep himself busy.

His visit to Oak Street Elementary through the Grades of Green program represented a first-time appearance forh Nash, who hopes to make them more frequently considering his past experience supporting various environmental initiatives in Dallas and Phoenix. As the general manager of the Canadian men’s basketball team, Nash recently traveled to Toronto to host clinics. He often hangs out at his Manhattan Beach residence with his three children.

Still, Nash plans to take an unspecified amount of time waiting, relaxing and reflecting on what his post-retirement career will entail.

“I am just trying to take my time, get some space and perspective before I rush into too many things,” Nash said. “I have a tendency to rush into things because I can’t sit still. Then I always end up regretting it.”

Nash maintains he has no regrets about how he handled the aftermath surrounding his season-ending injury where he stayed distant from the team in the final year of his contract worth $9.8 million.

“I was in a really difficult position mentally and emotionally,” Nash said. “It wasn’t easy for me. I think the best thing for everyone was for me to get away.”

Both Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and coach Byron Scott publicly supported Nash’s indefinite absence. But they also expressed hope he would mentor the Lakers’ backcourt, namely rookie guard Jordan Clarkson. Yet, Nash did not begin those private sessions until late January.

“As soon as they asked me to help, I was there to help,” Nash said. “It wasn’t like I was hiding. They asked me if I would work with the guys and I immediately said, ‘Yeah.’”

Nash has since worked out with Clarkson through both informal workouts and film study.

“I tried to give him tips on creating space for himself,” Nash said of Clarkson. “If he creates space for himself, space will open up for him to pass the ball. Then the decisions will become clearer and easier to make.”

Nash advised Lakers rookie forward Julius Randle on tweaking his shooting mechanic. Nash also helped Lakers forward Ryan Kelly become more fluid with his movement after nursing overlapping hamstring injuries that kept him out last season for a combined 30 games.

But plenty of Nash’s mentorship focused on Clarkson, who averaged 15.8 points on 45.8 percent shooting, five assists and 4.2 rebounds in 32.1 minutes through 38 starts.

“He’s got a lot of ingredients to be a terrific NBA player,” Nash said of Clarkson. “The sky’s the limit. He has great size and athleticism. He can score and hit big shots. He’s developing into a good playmaker.”

Both Kupchak and Scott also hope Clarkson develops into a leader.

“The biggest thing about a leader is being authentic, being yourself and having pure motives,” Nash said. “If you are there every day, working hard and trying to get better and lay it on the line every night, that’s leadership. Whether you’re a vocal leader or quiet leader, it’s about your teammates believing in you, trusting that your motives are pure and trying to win.”

After fulfilling that job description on the hardwood, Nash will eventually channel that energy elsewhere. But in the meantime, Nash pledged that he remains “happy to” mentor Clarkson more.

“He’s a great kid and great people,” Nash said of Clarkson. “It’s been fun for me.”