Los Angeles Lakers point guard and Canada's finest ever basketball export, Steve Nash, announced his retirement on Saturday on Twitter and addressed the media on Tuesday.

"I want people to simply remember me as a competitor and a great teammate," said Nash.

Because of a series of back injuries, Nash only appeared in 65 games over the past two seasons and did not play at all in 2014-15.

In an interview with TSN Radio 1040 Vancouver earlier this month, Nash admitted that he was unlikely to play again.

"I never worked as hard as I did the last 18 months, two years, twice a day almost every day to try to just give it that one last year," said Nash. "And I finally just had to admit that it’s just not meant to be."

Since announcing his retirement over the weekend, plaudits for the 41-year-old from across the NBA, from the likes of Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey and New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher.

"(I appreciated) his unselfish play, the way he plays pass-first," Casey said of Nash. "Just his overall demeanour, he's a good man. His heart is in the right place. He's about the team, he's about winning. There is not a selfish bone in his body."

Good friend and long-time teammate Dirk Nowitzki joked about the struggles Nash overcame as a pro.

“He overcame a lot in his career – his health and being short and white and slow and unathletic," Nowitzki told ESPN's Marc Stein. "And to be one of the greatest ever is an unbelievable achievement.”

Former Raptors coach and current Portand Trail Blazers assistant Jay Triano spoke about Nash's indelible impact on the NBA on TSN Drive with Dave Naylor.

The tributes extended outside of basketball.

Nash's brother-in-law, Montreal Canadiens forward, Manny Malhotra called Nash "an inspiration."

News of Nash's retirement opened debate on where Nash stood in terms of the greatest athletes that Canada has ever produced.

TSN Raptors analyst Leo Rautins told The Bryan Hayes Show on TSN Radio 1050 Toronto that Nash is synonymous with Wayne Gretzky. 

Nash, an eight-time All-Star and two-time MVP, walks away from the game after parts of 18 seasons and 1217 games with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Lakers.