My all-time favorite basketball player is Steve Nash.
For those who don’t follow the NBA closely, here’s what you need to know: in the early 2000s, Nash—now a Hall of Famer—won back-to-back MVP titles. That achievement puts him in incredibly rare company in basketball history.
And yet, the year he first won MVP, he only led the NBA in two statistical categories.
The first is the one you’d expect: assists. Nash loved to “share the sugar.” He was a master at making the extra pass, getting his teammates involved, and elevating everyone around him. That’s the hallmark of a great leader.
But the second stat? That’s the one that sets him apart.
Steve Nash also led the league in physical touches—high fives, fist bumps, and pats on the back.
Yes, you read that right.
A research team from UC Berkeley was conducting a study to see if physical enthusiasm could measurably impact wins on the court. They watched every minute of every NBA game and recorded every high five, fist bump, and pat on the backside.
The Phoenix Suns, who Nash played for at the time, were so intrigued that they assigned a full-time intern to count Nash’s touches specifically. In the very first game, Nash delivered 239. That’s right—239 physical touches in one game.
Steve Nash wasn’t just a floor general. He was a furnace of human connection.
And science backs it up. In basketball, where physicality is appropriate, it’s been physiologically proven that you can transfer energy to another human being through touch. A well-placed high five or fist bump can help someone raise their game. Teams that connect this way not only win more, but also play more selflessly—helping on defense, setting screens, doing the little things that don’t show up on the scoreboard but win championships.
Now, let me be clear—and HR compliant—I’m not suggesting you pat your clients on the backside after a meeting.
But I am encouraging you to find creative and intentional ways to make the same type of emotional deposits with your teammates, your clients, and the people you serve.
What can you do consistently to give others that same morale boost? How can you help fill their bucket?
Here’s a simple, actionable challenge: The 10 Assists Drill.
Every morning, put 10 rubber bands on your left wrist. Each time during the day you do something that qualifies as an “assist,” move one band to your right wrist.
An assist isn’t your job description. It’s not the bare minimum. It’s something extra—an act of service, a value add, something above and beyond.
It could be helping a teammate with a project. Sending a note of appreciation to a client. Sharing a resource with a prospect. Anything that pours into someone else.
At the end of the day, count your assists. Did you hit 10?
If you make this a daily habit—if you wake up every day with the intention of going above and beyond—you’ll not only impact others, you’ll elevate yourself. Just like Steve Nash, you’ll be the kind of leader, teammate, and person who makes everyone around you better.
And that’s the real MVP.
