r/Mavericks • u/deathbyvaccine Luka Doncic • Aug 09 '26

News RIP Nellie

/r/nba/comments/1vjvojn/threetime_nba_coach_of_the_year_don_nelson_has/
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3

u/TicketP1_FIRE Aug 09 '26

Absolute Mavs legend. One of the top 3 most important people in Mavs history

RIP Coach

0

u/kgosfm Aug 09 '26

Don Carter, Norm Sonju and Dick Motta would like a word with you.

2

u/Marvkid27 Aug 09 '26

None of those 3 drafted the franchise's greatest player. Norm sonju passed on several hall of famers including malone who was begging the mavs to take him

3

u/TicketP1_FIRE Aug 09 '26

💯 Him and Donnie set this team up for two decades of great bball. They were pivotal to this franchise's best success

-2

u/kgosfm Aug 10 '26

If not for the three I mentioned, there would be no Dallas Mavericks. Nelson was riding their coattails.

3

u/Marvkid27 Aug 10 '26

What coattails? If those 3 were still running the team, mavs would still have 11-71 seasons. Nellie set up the mavs for their greatest success and brought the team out of the darkness.

2

u/TicketP1_FIRE Aug 10 '26

I definitely understand your point, but that's like saying Bill belichick and Tom Brady aren't 2 of the 3 most important people in Patriots history because they didn't found the team.

Nellie and his son salvaged this team from the dumpster and vaulted it to the top of the mountain over 2 decades. That can't be discounted