​Don Nelson, who died Sunday, was an unlikely candidate for a historical basketball figure. He was not particularly gifted. He didn’t run fast or jump high. At 6-6, in his day, he was kind of too tall for a guard and verging on too small for a forward. Nonetheless, he built a remarkable career, first as a player, then as a coach and an executive who constantly challenged convention. He was one of the first, if not the first, to use the idea of a stretch-four or stretch-five. He had versions of small ball with Golden State, but he also let 7-7 Manute Bol rain threes. No Nellie, No Durant, No Nowitzki, no Karl-Anthony Towns. Current Golden State coach Steve Kerr said this about him: “Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today. He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game.”Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach said this about Nelson: “He has great knowledge of the game. Someday he’s going to be a coach, and a very good one. He knows the game, and he plays it hard.”Before he was a coach, Nelson played with the Chicago Zephyrs, then the Los Angeles Lakers, before signing with the Boston Celtics in 1965. He helped Boston win five NBA championships, and in Game 7 of the 1969 Finals, he had a moment most players would kill for.John Havlicek dribbled the ball down the right side of the lane, then turned, and Keith Erickson of the Lakers made a brilliant defensive play from behind, swiping the ball loose from Havlicek. Unfortunately, he knocked the ball straight to Nelson, who caught it almost exactly where you would want to start a shot. Elgin Baylor was close but was slow to react as Nelson rose up. His shot hit the rim, then took a dramatically high bounce before dropping through to put Boston up 105-102, with just 1:33 left. You might not notice this right away, but as soon as Nelson took the shot, he bolted for the defensive end, suggesting one of two things: coach Bill Russell had instructed him to do so, or Nelson was sure the shot was going in. As it turned out, Boston won 108-106, for their 11th championship in 13 years. Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line