R.I.P. Don Nelson

[BBN9]

 

[Im The Village Idiot]

He will be missed! RIP!

 

[DirtyHarry]

He will be missed! RIP!

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That’s Don KNOTTS

 

[BarefootBeach]

I'm getting old, I still can remember him coaching

 

[gobigblue812_rivals29381]

Ggoodbye to the anazing Miami crime fighter

 

[Im The Village Idiot]

I'm getting old, I still can remember him coaching

Well, at least you haven’t gotten old enough to forget about him coaching

 

[travisbickle]

Some broken hearts never mend.

RIP you gentle giant and may you always be on Tulsa Time looking down on us from heaven.

 

[Hitman206]

Invented small ball

 

[GoneFishin916]

My favorite coach ever. Met him twice and had good conversations both times (first time he was with Mavs; second time with Warriors). He remembered who I was. He also drafted Steph Curry, so he knew greatness. Too bad he did not win a title as a coach. He was a guy that if he liked you, great, but if he did not, it was miserable. He was a very large man with a gruff voice, but fairly down to earth when I talked to him. He lost a bunch of weight after he got out of coaching. He did have a fairly large belly when I saw him. Loved him with the Mavs and We Believe Warriors

 

[BC_Wader]

RIP Don Nelson and "Nellie Ball". Run TMC was fun to watch in my late teenage years.

 

[BBN9]

I'm getting old, I still can remember him coaching

Hell, I can remember when he PLAYED for the Celtics. Shot free throws one handed. Looked like he was shot-putting the ball to the goal.

 

[Mulder14]

I'm getting old, I still can remember him coaching

I remember him playing

 

[AustinTXCat]

I'm getting old, I still can remember him coaching

I remember Don Nelson playing for the Celtics. They won 5 NBA titles with him on the floor.

 

[AustinTXCat]

RIP Don Nelson and "Nellie Ball". Run TMC was fun to watch in my late teenage years.

Dirk Nowitzke on Don Nelson:

"In my second game ever in the NBA -- obviously I wasn't a defensive presence -- he wanted me out there in the game but he didn't have anybody for me to guard," recalled the 7'0" Nowitzki. "So he let me guard [5-foot-3] Muggsy Bogues for a couple possessions. He said, 'Just stand there in the paint and wave at him. He doesn't want to shoot.'"

Heh.

 

[Smeegs]

He was certainly an innovative coach who wasn’t afraid to play lineups and schemes that no other coach dared try.

For example, term “small ball” first originated from Don Nelson’s teams. As did the term “point forward”, as he was first to coach to use forwards in a point role. And on defense he was known for intentionally creating wacky mismatches (such as having a small guard defend the center spot), which seemed insane on the surface, but would work because it would mess with the head of his opponent and cause them to divert the ball away from their stars and toward less talented scorers.