Nash congratulates Podz for ‘well-deserved’ NBA All-Rookie honors

Nash congratulates Podz for ‘well-deserved’ NBA All-Rookie honors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

On Monday, Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski found out he earned 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in one of the coolest ways possible.

Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, who also was a two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year at Podziemski’s alma mater, Santa Clara University, congratulated the 21-year-old via video message on the first of what Golden State hopes to be many league honors.

“Brandin, big congrats on making the All-Rookie team,” Nash said. “Very well-deserved. Been a lot of fun watching you play, watching you develop, becoming a big part of what the Dubs are doing. Can’t wait to watch the rest of your career unfold. Keep putting that work in.

“Big congrats, and good luck my man.”

Nash and Podziemski both are former Broncos, with the young Warriors guard opting to transfer to Santa Clara after he was unable to crack the rotation at Illinois. The move paid off, as Podziemski ultimately was selected No. 19 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by Golden State, where he both found and created enough success to earn All-Rookie honors this season.

“I found out when I watched the video that [Warriors senior vice president of communications Raymond Ridder] showed me, and Steve Nash gave me a shout-out. So it was pretty cool,” Podziemski told reporters 90 minutes after the All-Rookie team was announced Monday. “

Nash wound up at Santa Clara after the university was the lone team to recruit him out of high school, and the school retired his No. 11 jersey in September 2006. Nash left Santa Clara as the No. 15 overall pick in the 1996 draft and went on to become an eight-time NBA All-Star.

Unlike Podziemski, however, Nash wasn’t selected to the All-Rookie team once he was in the league. And while it certainly is a tall order, perhaps the Warriors guard could be well on his way to becoming the next great player out of Santa Clara.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast