ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg had a respectable coaching career at the collegiate level for 22 years before transitioning into media. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday, he reminisced about two significant recruiting mistakes that could have turned his career into a legendary one. Winning 383 games is no small feat, but it raises the question of what that total might have been had he signed two future Hall of Fame-caliber players he overlooked while recruiting.
One of the most notable players Greenberg missed out on is current Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry. While coaching at Virginia Tech, Greenberg opted not to recruit Curry, a decision he has regretted for years. Curry, drawn to Virginia Tech by his father’s legacy as an alum, was offered a preferred walk-on spot instead of a scholarship, leading him to play for Bob McKillop at Davidson.
This well-known blunder is often the focus of fan jokes directed at Greenberg. However, he shared another significant missed opportunity on Thursday: he also passed on pursuing legendary point guard Steve Nash, who was interested in attending Long Beach State during Greenberg’s tenure. “People think Steph Curry is the biggest recruiting mistake,” Greenberg recalled. “I took my team at Long Beach State to play the Canadian Junior National team, where Nash was a part of that squad. We dominated them. At the end, Nash expressed interest in coming to Long Beach State, but I was hesitant since my backcourt was returning. That was a major mistake, bigger than my Pretty Woman mistake.”
Pat McAfee found it amusing and guessed that Nash might remember this incident, which Greenberg confirmed. He recalled how Nash called him out during a press conference in the 1993 NCAA Tournament when Santa Clara squared off against Long Beach State. “He did remember. When he got to the podium, he said, ‘Those guys in the other half of the draw, I wanted to go to Long Beach State.’ I replied, ‘Thanks, Steve, I appreciate you messing up my reputation.’”
“People think Steph Curry was the biggest recruiting mistake that I made..
Steve Nash wanted to come to Long Beach State and I had my back court coming back..
That was a MAJOR mistake” 😂😂 @SethOnHoops #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/K8TSMORmeC
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 27, 2025
It’s intriguing to consider how Greenberg’s coaching career might have unfolded had he recruited either Nash or Curry, or if their paths would have been different had he done so. Fortunately, Nash and Curry have both become two of the greatest point guards in basketball history, while Greenberg has established himself as one of the premier voices in college basketball media.
