Stephen Curry honors Don Nelson, the coach who believed in him before the Warriors glory days

S tephen Curry took the microphone before the Warriors’ October 6 preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers to explain a new detail on Golden State’s jerseys . The name on the patch belonged to Don Nelson , the coach who guided his first NBA season. For Curry, honoring “Nellie” meant remembering where his own story with the franchise began.

“As you might notice, we have a new patch on our jersey this year to honor our former head coach Don Nelson,” Curry told the Chase Center crowd. The Warriors will wear the “Nellie” memorial band throughout the 2026–27 season in tribute to Nelson, who died August 9 at 86.

“He was my coach back in 2009,” Curry continued, acknowledging former players and members of Nelson’s family in attendance. “He was an icon in the NBA family but did so much for the Bay Area.”

Don Nelson’s last NBA season was Stephen Curry’s first

Their time together lasted just one season: 2009–10. Nelson was approaching the end of his coaching career, while Curry was beginning a journey whose destination neither could fully know. Years later, Curry credited Nelson with helping bring him to Golden State and giving him the opportunity to develop.

That belief extended to a decision that helped change the franchise. According to NBA reporting, Nelson and then-general manager Larry Riley jointly chose to keep Curry rather than trade his draft rights to Phoenix in a potential deal for Amar’e Stoudemire. The Warriors held on to the young guard who would eventually become the center of their championship years.

Curry gave them early reasons to believe . As a rookie under Nelson, he averaged 17.5 points, made 166 three-pointers and earned All-Rookie First Team honors, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. The achievements were smaller than those still to come, but they marked the beginning of something Golden State would grow to treasure.

Their shared season also gave Curry a memory he would carry for years. On April 7, 2010, Nelson secured his 1,333rd regular-season victory, passing Lenny Wilkens for the NBA coaching record. Curry was part of the team that celebrated the milestone in Minnesota. Nelson retired with 1,335 wins and remained the record holder until Gregg Popovich surpassed him in 2022.

Nelson’s connection to the Bay Area stretched across generations. He recorded 422 regular-season victories in 11 seasons with Golden State, overseeing the Run TMC era and returning to lead the 2007 “We Believe” Warriors. Their victory over the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks made them the first No. 8 seed to win a seven-game playoff series against a No. 1 seed.

His basketball ideas also endured. Nelson helped popularize the point-forward role and embraced unconventional lineups, finding possibilities in players beyond the positions traditionally assigned to them. His willingness to experiment helped shape a game increasingly built around versatility, spacing and creativity.

Golden State capped “Nellie Night” with a 124–98 preseason win over the Lakers. Curry finished with 16 points and five assists in just 14 minutes, shooting 4-of-7 from the field and making three of his six three-point attempts. The Warriors scored 45 points in the opening quarter and entered halftime ahead 81–53.

Yaxel Lendeborg led Golden State with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Brandin Podziemski added 16 points and Draymond Green delivered eight assists. Sandro Mamukelashvili paced the Lakers with 15 points. On a night devoted to remembering one of the franchise’s most influential coaches, the Warriors gave their home crowd a victory to celebrate, too.

Curry will wear Nelson’s name on his jersey all season. For him, it is a way to remember the coach who believed in him when he was just getting started and to keep him close each time he takes the court.