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Basketball world pays tribute to Hall of Famer Don Nelson

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The NBA community is mourning the death of Hall of Fame player and coach Don Nelson.

Nelson, who won five championships as a member of the Boston Celtics and then became one of the sport’s winningest coaches, died Sunday, Aug. 9, at the age of 86.

He served as an NBA head coach for 31 seasons with four teams: the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors issued a statement on their official Instagram account calling Nelson “an iconic figure in Warriors history” for his 11 seasons with Golden State.

“He was a true basketball visionary who saw the game differently and was never afraid to challenge conventional thinking,” the post read, in part. “His approach helped shape the game and paved the way for generations of players and coaches who followed.”

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Warriors point guard Stephen Curry only played for Nelson for one season, but said he was “one of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors.”

“The story is he never liked rookies,” Curry said in a statement, “but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court …

“He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game. He’s a true icon and will be missed by the countless number of people he touched, including myself, during a legendary career.”

Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson signals to his team in Game 3 of a 2001 first-round NBA playoff series against the Utah Jazz.

Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson signals to his team in Game 3 of a 2001 first-round NBA playoff series against the Utah Jazz.

As general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, Nelson was the driving force behind the draft-day trade in 1998 that brought Dirk Nowitzki to the Mavs.

He went on to a Hall of Fame career, spending every one of his 21 seasons in a Mavericks uniform.

“Nellie… You didn’t just draft me. You believed in me,” Nowitzki posted on X. “You saw things in my game before I ever realized I could do them. I’ve said it a million times and I will always say it: I don’t think my career could have turned out how it did without you being my first coach and giving me the freedom to play my game.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Basketball world pays tribute to Hall of Famer Don Nelson



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