The Golden State Warriors have been a successful franchise in the Steve Kerr era. But, before the 2015 Championship win, the franchise had been a subpar, lottery-bound team for quite some time. Frequently finishing among the bottom rank of the Western Conference, the Bay Area side witnessed several coaching changes. Prior to Kerr, Mark Jackson, Keith Smart, and Don Nelson, all tried and failed to guide the Warriors to a deep playoff run. However, Nelson did have a huge contribution in helping the San Francisco-based franchise to win four titles. Unlike many naysayers, the legendary coach displayed faith in Stephen Curry, selecting him as the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Still, Nelson didn’t believe he’d become an MVP in the league, nevermind mind winning it twice. Years later, Don revealed that he saw similar traits in Chef Curry and Dirk Nowitzki.
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Don Nelson was extremely impressed with Stephen Curry’s rookie campaign. The sharpshooter averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. Speaking on how Curry surprised him, in 2020, Don disclosed that he thought Curry’s ceiling would merely be as an All-Star at most.
“You never think a guy could be MVP of the league. I mean, who would ever think that but I thought he would be an All-Star point guard.”
Don Nelson reveals the similarities between Stephen Curry and Dirk Nowitzki
Don Nelson has always taken pride in the fact that he drafted Stephen Curry and Dirk Nowitzki to the Warriors and the Mavericks, respectively. In 2014, during an appearance on CBS News’ Deuce and Jason Ross Show, the three-time Coach of the Year spoke about the similarities between the two superstars. Lauding them for developing into elite players and great people, Nelson revealed the trait that the two shared.
“I thought he was gonna be exactly what he turned out to be,” Nelson told CBS News’ Deuce and Jason Ross Show in 2014. “He’s been a delight to watch, and the maturity and everything else that goes in on the development of a person, not just a player. I’m really proud of him. I said the same thing about Curry,” Nelson said.
While Nelson did coach The Baby-Faced Assassin for only a single season, he did have a huge impact on Nowitzki’s improvement into a megastar. Coaching the Texas side from 1997-2005, Don’s guidance allowed the German to succeed at the NBA level.
Today, Steph and Dirk stand among the greatest in the NBA history. While Nowitzki has won an MVP and one of the hardest championships ever, Curry has managed to win two MVPs and four titles of his own. Playing for the same team their entire careers, the impact that they’ve had on their respective franchises is off the charts.
Nowitzki doesn’t believe that Steph’s 3-point record will be broken
During the 2021-2022 season, Stephen Curry surpassed Ray Allen as the all-time 3-point leader. Legends of the game raced and dished out praises for the GSW leader. Dirk probably had perhaps the best compliments for the shifty guard.
“I don’t think there’s anybody in sight now that can break his record,” Dirk said.
“I mean, the way he’s been — at the clip that he’s shooting now is just fantastic and fun to watch. In a way, he’s changed the game.”
Apart from stating the fact that the former Davidson Wildcat changed the game, the Mavs legend also stated that his record would never be broken. Coming from the greatest big man shooter of all time, it certainly is a huge pat on the back for Curry.
