National Basketball Association

Lakers' Nash hurts back moving bags, may be relegated to backup role

Published Oct. 15, 2014 6:08 p.m. ET

foxsports

Things are getting heavy for the Los Angeles Lakers' Steve Nash.

The 40-year-old point guard missed his third straight practice on Wednesday and will not play Thursday night's preseason game against the Utah Jazz after he tweaked his back carrying some bags in his Manhattan Beach home, the Los Angeles Times reports.

"Steve, today, kind of hurt his back," coach Byron Scott said via the LAT. "He had a little bit of a setback, just kind of carrying some bags or something. He [felt] a twinge in his back."

Scott suspects it was a back spasm. The Lakers don't know how long the two-time NBA MVP will be out of action.

Nash, the NBA's oldest player, already has missed a huge chunk of his first two seasons with the Lakers with a spate of back, knee and hamstring injuries. Nash was able to play in just 15 games last season while struggling with nerve root irritation. The Lakers are trying to keep Nash healthy during training camp, but he hasn't practiced since asking to leave Sunday's exhibition game with an unspecified health problem.

Scott suggested newly acquired Jeremy Lin could take over as starting point guard. Lin also has a sprained ankle, but the point guard ran in practice Wednesday.

"I have no doubt in my mind that if I went to Steve and said tomorrow, 'You know what, I'm going to start Jeremy and the games that you're available, we're going bring you off the bench,' he's such a professional that I don't think it would be a problem whatsoever," Scott said via the LAT on Tuesday.