Agonizing Paul Pierce decision almost changed Dallas Mavericks history, Don Nelson reveals

Don Nelson talks ‘agonizing’ Paul Pierce decision

Nelson has largely remained out of the game since he left the Mavericks but his relationship with the franchise is long and storied.

He was the head of the Mavs for nine years, from 1997 to 2005, also taking over general manager responsibilities as he sparked one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history.

Taking over a team that was hardly ever in contention, Nelson paired Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash with Michael Finley and dragged the Mavericks out of purgatory.

At a time when foreign players weren’t considered as good as the American players, Nowitzki’s ascent was powered by Nelson.

Therefore, it was extremely surprising when Nelson revealed recently that Nowitzki almost didn’t play for the Mavs because Paul Pierce, in the same draft as the German, stumbled down the order.

Nelson said: “Dirk was the most talented big man I had ever seen. He was close to seven feet tall and he played like a small forward.

“We took a gamble on him. I have to say in that draft, Paul Pierce was my favorite player. We had Paul Pierce going top three. So we didn’t even consider that he would be there.

“Wouldn’t you believe that when No. 9 came up, Paul Pierce was there, and Dirk Nowitzki. I looked at Donnie and I said, oh [expletive], Paul Pierce is my favorite player. He’s going to be a star.

“We took Dirk. It was tough for a while in Dallas. People thought I was a mad scientist. They may have been right. I don’t know about that one. But anyway, we stuck with him.”

Paul Pierce-Dirk Nowitzki scenario worked out for everyone

While “What if?” scenarios generally spark big discussions in any sport and this is a major one for both the Mavs and the Celtics, it ultimately worked out for everyone.

The Mavs drafted a bona fide superstar in Nowitzki who effectively has the keys to Dallas after a legendary career, while Paul Pierce got his own ring with the Celtics in 2008 too.

Both players achieved legendary status so it is no longer a question of who ended up as the winner or the loser.

As for Don Nelson, his only regret will be not winning a ring with Nowitzki, which would have given him the leg-up over Pierce.

Since that didn’t happen, this “What if?” scenario ends in a complete truce, as exciting as envisioning Pierce with the Mavs is.