Jason Terry says Don Nelson did more than coach him in Dallas - he helped bring back his love for basketball.
Nelson’s death at 86 sent shockwaves through the NBA over the weekend, and the tributes quickly followed for the longtime coach who spent time with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Nelson’s work in the league “revolutionary,” and praised the impact he made across nearly 50 years in the NBA.
“Don Nelson revolutionized NBA basketball through his fearlessness, ingenuity and deep conviction,” said Silver.
“He spent nearly 50 years in the NBA - winning five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics before building one of the most successful and pioneering coaching careers in league history.”
“He brought an unmistakable personality to everything he did, and his impact on our sport will continue to be felt for generations. I send my deepest condolences to Don’s family and many friends throughout our league.”
Dallas Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont also honored Nelson’s imprint on the franchise, pointing to the way he changed the culture in Dallas.
“Don Nelson was a true original whose impact on the Dallas Mavericks and the game of basketball will endure for generations. Nellie helped transform this franchise, bringing an innovative spirit, a belief in doing things differently and, most importantly, a winning culture to Dallas. His influence can be seen throughout Mavericks’ history and across the NBA today.
“On behalf of the entire Mavericks organization, our thoughts are with Don’s family, friends, former players and coaches, and the many people whose lives he touched. We are grateful for all he gave to the Mavericks and to the game he loved.”
For Terry, Nelson’s influence was personal. Speaking with Brandon’ Scoop B’ Robinson, the former Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets guard said Nelson was the coach who greeted him when he arrived in Dallas in 2004.
“Don Nelson was my first coach in Dallas when I arrived in 2004,” Terry recalled with ScoopB.com Sunday afternoon by phone.
Terry said the move changed how he felt about the game after several frustrating years in Atlanta.
“And when I tell you, the joy of basketball-coming from Atlanta where I was drafted in ’99, played for five years, and didn’t… didn’t win, right? I started to lose the love for the game because of the losing and then put in that position into a winning organization with a historic winning coach that brought the love and the joy back to basketball for me.”
He also said the bond went beyond what happened during games and practices.
“Not only was it how Don coached and ran the team, but it was more of the person he was and our interaction off the court which really gave me that love,” Terry said.
Nelson’s résumé backs up the praise. Over a 50-plus-year NBA career, he won more than 250 games with two different franchises, making him one of only two coaches to do that. He was a three-time Coach of the Year and reached the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons as an NBA coach.
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