'The way game is played today, that is how Don Nelson did the game back then' - Hardaway on 'Nelly's' impact on basketball

Saying Don Nelson was ahead of his time is an understatement. "Nellie" introduced small-ball offense, a widely used concept in basketball that favors skilled players over traditional positions. Nelson insisted on doing things his way when everybody else did the same stuff.

Tim Hardaway, who played under Nelson during their time with the Golden State Warriors, credits the Hall of Fame coach for shaping today's style of play.

"If any had a chance to really play for Don Nelson, you truly had fun playing the game of basketball," Hardaway said on "The Mark Jackson Show." "The way the Warriors play today… that's the way we used to play. The way the Boston Celtics play, that's the way we used to play. We had Tom Tolbert one time at 6'7, that was our tallest guy. He's playing center, and we just passing the ball around… The way the game is played today, that is how Don Nelson did the game back then."

Against the current

Nelson coached the Warriors from 1988 to 1995, which coincided with the two seasons of "Run TMC" (1989-90 & 1990-91). Back then, teams in the Association had at least one seven-footer, with others running twin-tower lineups. However, "Nellie" rarely employed a lumbering big, primarily because of his preferred up-and-down style of basketball.

To ensure that his teams played at a faster pace, the former Boston Celtic started Tolbert, a 6'7 "forward at center, for 32 games in the 1990-91 season. On other nights, he used 6'9" power forward Tyrone Hill, who, at a lean 250, did not sacrifice the speed needed to play "Nellie" ball.

A season after breaking up "Run TMC," Don had Billy Owens (coming over from the Kings for Mitch Richmond) at power forward and started Sarunas Marciulionis in place of Richmond on the backcourt. They even did better than any of the previous two seasons, winning 55 games to secure the third seed in the West.

Nelson's ingenious madness created more exciting teams in the future. Under the three-time Coach of the Year, the Dallas Mavericks produced two superstars, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, both a development of "Nellie's" small-ball chaos. In 2007, the second-winningest coach in the NBA engineered a playoff upset of epic proportions against his former team, this time as the lead tactician on the "We Believe" Warriors bench.

Don came short of a title coaching for three decades in the league. However, his legacy of fun basketball by using his five most versatile players on the floor will remain. Thanks to Nelson, it looks like the sport will never be looking back.

Tim Sr. tips his hat to "Action"

Mark Jackson will never be the coach Don was, but "Tim Bug" rightfully gave the veteran point guard his flowers. Jackson coached the Warriors from 2011 to 2014, laying the groundwork for a team that became a dynasty from 2015 to 2022. Even though Golden State took off after he left, the 1997 assist champ was the perfect coach during Steph Curry and Klay Thompson's developmental years.

"With the credit of you, Mark, because I think you showed the blueprint of how to use two guys that could really shoot the ball, that could really be effective in the NBA level," Tim started.

"One guy that never had to dribble (Klay)… and then you got one guy, who I think, if it wasn't for you and talking to him, because he was down and out when he was hurt (Steph). When his ankles were hurting and people was doubting him, I truly believe Mark that you talked to him and made him understand that, 'Hey man, everything's gonna be alright. You just gotta get yourself together,'" Hardaway opined.

In many respects, Jackson and Nelson were cut from the same cloth. Both failed to capture championships, yet their teams thrived once they moved on. Still, players like Dirk, Steph, and Klay wouldn't have reached those heights without their influence. It highlights how some are destined to win while others are meant to set the stage for success.