By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The passing of NBA legend Don Nelson at age 86 brought together the basketball community to celebrate a towering figure whose influence spanned decades. During a moving memorial service held on Thursday in Dallas, Texas, luminaries gathered to honor the Hall of Fame coach. Among the attendees was his lifelong friend and former colleague, Gregg Popovich, who stepped to the podium to offer a deeply personal and humorous tribute.
The current San Antonio Spurs president, who served as an assistant coach under Nelson with the Golden State Warriors from 1992 to 1994, reflected fondly on those formative seasons, remarking, ‘two happiest years in the NBA’, while jokingly adding that his wife and kids enjoyed being with his family more than being with him.
The bond between the two icons was cemented by a profound reverence. Popovich spent nearly three decades helming the Spurs, capturing five NBA championships and eventually surpassing his mentor in 2022 to become the winningest coach in league history. Addressing his late friend, Popovich pulled back the curtain on his strategic blueprint. “Most of the stuff that I ran in San Antonio I stole from you. And I just tweaked it because I had different players,” he admitted.
Surveying the crowd, Popovich admitted to feeling ‘a little PTSD’ while looking at former on-court rivals in the audience. Yet, the atmosphere remained overwhelmingly warm as he emphasized Nelson’s immense impact on everyone in the room.
The 77-year-old tactician described Nelson as a uniquely special person whose gruff exterior masked a heart ‘bigger than the moon’ and ‘soft as marshmallows’, perfectly capturing the duality of a fierce competitor who remained a gentle, generous soul to those he loved.
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