Just months after Golden State Warriors longtime coach Don Nelson passed Lenny Wilkens on the all-time wins list, he is to be replaced by assistant Keith Smart.
Nelson, who has been the coach of the Warriors since the 1988-89 season, has amassed a total of 1,335 wins over his years as a head coach, and scored more than 10,000 points as an NBA player.
Nelson was a three time coach of the year, and leaves the game of basketball at the age of 70.
Now, the question some may ask, is "why now?"
For Nelson, this isn't what he wanted, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. Nelson originally pushed for a final season with the team, but the new ownership would like to move the Warriors in a new direction.
Nelson could find himself in the front office of a few different teams with openings—but would he want to?
At the age of 70, I'd be more inclined to take up golf and lick my wounds after a less than enjoyable last year in Golden State, which would lead to my "firing".
The Warriors struggled last season, even with rookie phenom Stephen Curry, to a record of 26-56.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Tommy Torkelson
Don Nelson Out As Golden State Warriors Coach: Rapid Reaction
September 23rd, 2010 by Tommy Torkelson Leave a reply »
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