Legendary NBA coach Don Nelson made an impact on a number of players and franchises during his Hall of Fame career. Dirk Nowitzki, Luka Dončić and many others were among those to pay tribute to Nelson after he died in early August at the age of 86.
On Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors announced how they would honor the man who had two separate coaching stints with the franchise. During the 2026-27 NBA season, the Warriors will wear a “Nellie” band on their jerseys as a tribute to the team’s long-time coach.
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The band will appear on the upper left of the Warriors’ jerseys.
After a 14-year playing career — in which Nelson won five NBA championships with the Boston Celtics — the forward decided to take up coaching.
It didn’t take long for Nelson to find a head-coaching role. After starting his coaching career as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks, he quickly assumed the head-coaching job after Larry Costello resigned just 18 games into the 1976-77 NBA season.
Nelson couldn’t turn the team around in his first season, though ultimately went on to have an extremely successful 11-year tenure with the Bucks. Despite a 540–344 record with the team, Nelson wasn’t brought back after the 1986-87 season.
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After a year away from coaching, Nelson got the Warriors’ job. His first stint with the franchise lasted six-and-a-half years. He resigned in the middle of the 1994-95 season and then spent time coaching both the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks before eventually finding his way back to the Warriors ahead of the 2006-07 season.
Nelson spent four more years with the franchise, posting a 422-443 record with the team across his two stints.
When he retired, Nelson held the record for most wins as a coach with 1,335. He was eventually surpassed by San Antonio Spurs legend Gregg Popovich.
Despite his success as a head coach, Nelson never won a championship in that role. But his contributions to the game — and his eccentric personality away from the court — made Nelson a legendary figure in the sport.
The Warriors will make sure Nelson’s legacy endures with their jersey band this season.
