The Warriors are set to honor late NBA coach Don Nelson this season by wearing a band across the shoulder of their uniforms that reads “NELLIE.”
Golden State announced the new patch Wednesday for Nelson, who died Aug. 9.
Nelson had two coaching stints with the Warriors (1988-1995 and 2006-2010) and had 422 regular-season victories with the franchise.
Advertisement
During his Golden State tenure, the Warriors reached the playoffs six times and made it to the Western Conference finals three times.
Prior to coaching Golden State, Nelson had a successful tenure with the Bucks, leading Milwaukee to a 540-344 record from November 1976 to May 1987.
In 2010, Nelson became the NBA’s all-time winningest coach and eventually fell to second on that list in 2022, when Gregg Popovich surpassed him. Nelson had 1,335 regular-season victories, and Popovich had 1,390.
Former Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson to be honored by the team in 2026 NBA season. Getty Images
Although Nelson never won an NBA Finals, one of his most iconic moments as a coach came in 2007 when he sparked his Golden State team with “We believe.” The Warriors eliminated a 67-win Mavericks team from the playoffs and became the first eighth-seeded team to eliminate a top-seeded team in a seven-game playoff series.
Advertisement
The game differential of the Warriors over the Mavericks went on to become the largest by a team to do so in a playoff series.
Nelson’s final major contribution to the Warriors came in 2009, when he laid the foundation for the franchise’s dynasty.
Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry during an NBA game against the New York Knicks. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
At the time, it was viewed as a “long shot,” but the Warriors selected Steph Curry with the seventh overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft based on Nelson’s recommendation. The franchise went on to win four NBA titles in 2015, 2018, 2018 and 2022 behind the game’s greatest shooter.
