Legendary NBA coach Don Nelson, who still holds the record for amassing the second-highest number of wins in NBA history, passed away on Sunday. An NBA Hall of Famer, Nelson retired from coaching in 2010 and became a marijuana farmer in Hawaii. He was 86 years old.
"On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family," a statement from his family read. "Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories."
Tributes have since poured in for Don Nelson, who, in his 31-season coaching career in the league, coached the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. Even Luka Doncic, who debuted in the NBA eight years after Don Nelson's retirement, thanked Nelson for the influence he had on him.
"I have so much respect for him and everything he did for the game, especially the way he believed in international players," Doncic wrote on X, sharing a photo with Nelson. "I’m grateful for the time I spent with him. Thinking of the entire Nelson family today. I loved getting to know you, Coach."
{{/usCountry}}"I have so much respect for him and everything he did for the game, especially the way he believed in international players," Doncic wrote on X, sharing a photo with Nelson. "I’m grateful for the time I spent with him. Thinking of the entire Nelson family today. I loved getting to know you, Coach."
{{/usCountry}}Nelson was also an NBA player, winning five titles in his 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics. He played three more seasons in the NBA, one with the Chicago Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards) and two with the Los Angeles Lakers.
As the basketball community mourns Don Nelson, there is considerable interest in his life after retirement. Nelson started marijuana farming in Maui, Hawaii. In this article, we will take a look at it.
NBA Coaching To Marijuana Farming: Don Nelson's Life After Retirement
Don Nelson retired as an NBA coach after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 122–116 on April 14, 2010. Shortly after his retirement, he moved to his farm in Maui and started farming marijuana.
However, in an interview with HBO in 2019, he revealed that he grows marijuana for medicinal use, without specifying what condition he was treating. The strain he grew was called the “Nellie Kush” and it was never sold commercially.
“I’ve been smoking some pot,” Nelson had said, with CNN reporting that the former coach had been doing it every day. “But I never smoked when I played or coached, so it’s new to me.”
In the same interview, he also spoke in detail about the tender process of nurturing the plants involved in the farming process. “You’ve got to treat it like a baby,” Nelson had said. “You’ve got to water them. You’ve got to have music for them. You’ve got to bless them. It’s a whole process, I’m telling you.”
There are, however, no details on how big the farm was or how much marijuana the veteran NBA coach grew.