“We’re in Utah, and the [league’s] drug test people are around, you know, to get our last drug test so we can smoke, right? Don Nelson, we talked about weed all the time. He was cool with talking about weed,” Jackson said at the time. “We got our last test in Utah, right? So me and [teammate Baron Davis] are coming out the locker room just screaming, excited with our last pink slip, saying we could smoke for the rest of the season, and Don Nelson hauls ass down there giving us high-fives, like, ‘Yeah, we can smoke now!’ ” Jackson recalled. “It was cool, the fact that he knows what’s going on off the court with his players, which was great, man. We enjoyed it. That’s why we were a great team.”<doc-sep>Don Nelson was a legendary NBA coach — and he is remaining legendary in retirement. Nellie, who last coached the Golden State Warriors from 2006-10, returned to Oracle Arena on Thursday and spoke with the media before the game on what he’s been doing post-basketball in Hawaii: Don Nelson asked what he’s been doing after basketball: “I’ve been smoking some pot.” pic.twitter.com/67cncPYzsh — Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 22, 2019 “Yeah, I’ve been smoking some pot,” Nelson said, without hesitation. “It’s legal now! But I never smoked when I played nor coached. It’s new to me. It’s more legal now than it’s ever been.” This shouldn’t come as a surprise to those keeping tabs on the Hall of Fame coach. In an interview with The New York Times last year, Nelson talked about how he grows pot at his farm in Maui and that it was the country singer Willie Nelson who introduced him to marijuana a few years ago. Former Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson in 2012. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) “Usually you’re smoking with your friends, sitting around, telling stories, you smoke a bowl,” Nelson said to The Times. “It’s not that I smoke all the time. I usually just smoke at night during poker games. Like Willie told me, it’s hard to be depressed when you’re smoking pot.” But it is still hilarious to hear the 78-year-old Nelson casually drop that in, eliciting a celebratory reaction from Stephen Jackson, who played for Nelson on the “We Believe” Warriors. Nelson, the all-time winningest coach in NBA history, spent more than four decades on the sidelines with the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and the Warriors for two stints. He holds a special place in the hearts of Warriors fans for leading the team that upset the top-seed Mavericks in a first-round playoff series in 2007. And as long as he keeps making iconic cameos as he did on Thursday, he will remain a legend in basketball circles. Story continues More from Yahoo Sports: • Wetzel: How Nike fiasco could be a boon for Zion • Warriors win, no shock; Curry slam, big surprise • Megatron’s post-NFL career: Marijuana • Watch: NBA star’s wife makes him stop gaming<doc-sep>Former Warriors head coach Don Nelson is spending his retirement on Maui enjoying all the island has to offer. "I’ve been smoking some pot, but I never smoked when I played or coached," Nelson said when asked how he’s been keeping busy. "It’s new to me. I’m doing that. It’s more legal now than it’s ever been, so I’m enjoying that."<doc-sep>Long-time NBA head coach Don Nelson made an appearance at Oracle Arena to talk about his days with the Golden State Warriors. For those who don't follow the NBA closely, the Hall of Famer may be nearly unrecognizable from his coaching and playing days. When asked what he has been doing in retirement, Nelson said, "smoking some pot." NBA Hall of Famer Don Nelson made an appearance back at Oracle Arena on Thursday, and for those who don't follow the NBA closely, the Hall of Famer may be nearly unrecognizable from his coaching and playing days. The previously clean-cut Nelson is now sporting a ponytail and beard. When asked what he has been doing in retirement, Nelson was quick to note that he has been "smoking some pot," before clarifying that he never did it while he was a player or a coach (via KNBR). Nelson won five championships with the Boston Celtics as a player but is better known for his 31 seasons as a head coach, most recently with the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors. This is the Don Nelson most sports fans remember, from his final season with the Warriors during the 2009-10 season.<doc-sep>
The NBA’s winningest coach Don Nelson was sporting a fresh look during a press conference alongside former Golden State Warriors players Jason Richardson and Stephen Jackson. Nelson, who was inducted into to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, was taking questions ahead of the Warriors’ game against the Sacramento Kings. The former coach was wearing a gold chain over his black shirt with his hair a bit longer than what it was when he was roaming the sidelines. RARE MICHAEL JORDAN BASKETBALL CARD SELLS FOR RECORD AMOUNT AFTER EBAY BIDDING WAR: REPORT The 78-year-old Michigan native was asked what he was doing since he left basketball and gave a very candid answer. “I've been smoking some pot,” Nelson said. “I never smoked when I played or coached so it's new to me. I'm doing that and I'm having a pretty good time. It's more legal now than it's ever been, so I'm enjoying that.” Nelson told The New York Times last year he has moved to Hawaii and that Willie Nelson got him hooked on smoking marijuana. He said his medical card allows him to smoke and grow up to 10 plants legally. CHARLES BARKLEY JOKES ABOUT JUSSIE SMOLLETT, LIAM NEESON CONTROVERSIES DURING TNT'S NBA HALFTIME SHOW “Oh, it’s great. Great stuff. It’s called Nellie Kush. It’s O.G. and Hindu Kush. Hindu Kush is really good. It comes from India and the guy that brought it over mixed the two of them, so we’ve got Nellie Kush now,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Nelson has won 1,335 games while coaching the Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. He last coached for the Warriors in the 2009-2010 season.