Warriors to honor Don Nelson with ‘Nellie’ jersey band throughout the 2026-27 season

The “We Believe” Warriors became the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series in 2007.

SAN FRANCISCO

– The Golden State Warriors will honor Hall of Fame head coach Don Nelson with a ‘Nellie’ band on their uniforms throughout the 2026-27 season, the team announced today. Nelson, who spent 11 years as head coach of the Warriors, passed away at the age of 86 on August 9th.

Paying homage to a legend of the game.

The Golden State Warriors will honor Hall of Fame head coach Don Nelson with a ‘Nellie’ band on their uniforms throughout the 2026-27 season.

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— Golden State Warriors (@warriors)

August 26, 2026

Nelson had two head coaching stints with the Warriors, from 1988-95 and 2006-10, compiling 422 regular season victories with the franchise. His first tenure featured the famed “Run TMC” teams led by Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. He later returned to Golden State and coached the 2006-07 “We Believe” Warriors, who made NBA history by defeating the 67-win, top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The Warriors became the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series, overcoming a 25-win regular-season difference, the largest ever by a team to win a playoff series.

During a 31-year NBA head coaching career that also included stops with the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Mavericks, Nelson amassed 1,335 regular-season victories, the most in league history at the time of his retirement in 2010. He was named NBA Coach of the Year three times, earning the honor with Milwaukee in 1983 and 1985 and Golden State in 1992, and is one of only three coaches in NBA history to win the award three times, joining Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley. Nelson also joined Lenny Wilkens as the only coaches to record at least 300 victories with three different franchises, winning 540 games with Milwaukee, 422 with Golden State and 339 with Dallas. Nelson was named the recipient of the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, joining Al Attles (2023) and Rick Adelman (2017) as the third Warriors head coach to receive the honor.

Originally selected by the Chicago Zephyrs in the third round (19th overall) of the 1962 NBA Draft out of the University of Iowa, Nelson played 14 NBA seasons with the Zephyrs, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, appearing in 1,053 regular-season games and averaging 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He spent 11 seasons with Boston, helping the Celtics capture five NBA championships in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976. Nelson appeared in 150 career playoff games and led the NBA in field goal percentage (.539) during the 1974-75 season. His No. 19 was retired by the Celtics in 1978.

The jersey band will be located above the IREN badge on the upper left side of the uniform.