Warriors Star Steph Curry Reacts After Heartbreaking Announcement

Steph Curry Pays Tribute to Don Nelson

Shortly after news of Nelson's passing became public, Curry shared an emotional message on his Instagram Story reflecting on the impact his first NBA coach had on his life and career.

"My First Coach in the @NBA. One of the greatest minds in the game and pushed the way it was played!! NellyBall was a real thing. Give me the opportunity to find myself back in '09. Forever grateful. RIP Coach."

Although Nelson coached Curry for just one season after the Warriors selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, that year proved to be incredibly significant.
Nelson gave the young guard the freedom to play through mistakes, trusted him with the basketball and encouraged the creativity that would eventually make Curry one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Before Curry became a four-time NBA champion, a two-time MVP and the league's all-time leader in 3-pointers, he was simply a talented rookie trying to find his place in the NBA.

Nelson believed in him from the very beginning.

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Don Nelson's Legacy Changed the NBA Forever

Nelson's coaching resume speaks for itself.

He retired with 1,335 regular-season victories, the second-most in NBA history at the time, while earning three NBA Coach of the Year awards and an induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Before that, he won five NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics during one of the franchise's greatest dynasties.

However, Nelson's greatest contribution may have been the way he changed basketball.
His "Nellie Ball" philosophy emphasized floor spacing, positionless basketball, smaller lineups and offensive pace years before those concepts became commonplace across the league. Many of the strategies now used by championship contenders were pioneered by Nelson decades earlier.

His connection to the Warriors also runs deep. Nelson coached the franchise across two different stints, led the unforgettable "We Believe" team that upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the 2007 NBA Playoffs and was the coach who welcomed Curry into the NBA in 2009.

That relationship made Curry's tribute especially meaningful.

While countless players, coaches and organizations honored Nelson following Sunday's announcement, Curry's message served as a reminder that the Hall of Fame coach's influence extended far beyond wins and losses.

For Curry, Don Nelson wasn't just a legendary basketball mind. He was the coach who saw something special in a young rookie, gave him the confidence to play his game and helped put him on the path toward becoming one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen.

As the basketball world reflects on Nelson's remarkable life and career, Curry's heartfelt words captured exactly why his legacy will endure. The championships, innovations and records tell only part of the story. The relationships he built and the players he inspired—including one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, may ultimately be his most lasting achievement.