Donnie Nelson

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Donnie Nelson is the General Manager and president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks, an NBA team. He is the son of Don Nelson, the current head coach of the Golden State Warriors. In a 2007 Sports Illustrated article ranking the NBA's personnel bosses from 1-30, Donnie was ranked #2.^[1]

Donnie was the assistant coach for the Mavericks when Mark Cuban purchased the team in January 2000.

Donnie Nelson is involved in every aspect of the Mavericks basketball operations. Nelson, who has 22 years of NBA experience, came to Dallas on Jan. 2, 1998 after three seasons as an assistant coach with Phoenix.

Donnie Nelson has been instrumental in rebuilding a team that suffered a decade-long playoff drought into a perennial playoff team and championship contender. During his tenure, the Mavericks have won 66% of their games, including four 50-win seasons, two 60-wins seasons, and a franchise record 67-wins season in 2007. The 67-wins season was tied for the sixth-best regular season in NBA history. The Mavericks are also one of just six franchises to win 60 games or more three times in a five year span. Under Nelson, the Mavericks have also made the playoffs seven consecutive seasons, been to the Western Conference Finals twice, reached a franchise milestone in 2006 when they advanced to the NBA Finals, and won their first Division Title in 20 years in 2007.

Nelson has acquired the core group of players on the current Mavs roster through impressive trades and success in the NBA Draft. Starters Jason Terry and Erick Dampier, along with 6th Man Jerry Stackhouse, and the latest addition of future Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd were acquired through key trades. Nelson was also responsible for adding All-Star Josh Howard and 2007 MVP Dirk Nowitzki through the NBA Draft. On previous teams Nelson played a significant role in acquiring players such as two-time Most Valuable Player Steve Nash and All-Star/6th Man of the Year Antawn Jamison.

Nelson also coached the Mavericks while his father and former head coach Don Nelson missed time. While the elder Nelson was recovering from cancer surgery in 2000-01, Donnie led the team to a 13-8 record. In 2001-02, he was 2-0 as the head coach. He was the top assistant to his father at Golden State, where he served the organization a total of eight seasons ('86-'94). Nelson was also a regional scout for the Milwaukee Bucks for two seasons ('84-'86).

Since 1990, Donnie has served as an assistant coach for the Lithuania national basketball team. In that span, he has helped them win three bronze medals in four Olympiads, a silver medal in the 1995 European Championships and a gold medal in the 2003 European Championships. In appreciation for his contributions, Nelson was awarded the Grand Cross of the Commander by the President of Lithuania in 2004. He also serves as Honorary Ambassador for the League of Industries.

In 1994, Nelson served as a scout for USA Basketball at the World Championships in Toronto. Dream Team II went undefeated on their way to capturing a gold medal that year.

Nelson's tireless efforts helped crack two walls that once seemed unbreakable. Nelson was responsible for signing the first player from both the Soviet Union (Sarunas Marciulionis) and China (Wang Zhizhi) to NBA contracts. In addition, Nelson holds the honor of being the only American coach to participate in a Soviet National training camp. On June 24, 1998 Nelson engineered a deal that brought a relatively unknown German and an unheralded Canadian to Dallas. Both Dirk Nowitzki (2007) and Steve Nash (2005, 2006) would go on to be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player, giving the Mavericks the distinction of being the only team in history to acquire two future MVPs in the same transaction.

"Donnie has been my biggest supporter from day one," said six-time NBA All-Star and 2007 MVP Dirk Nowitzki. "He works harder than any coach or president in the NBA. He thinks about basketball 24 hours a day."^{[citation needed]}

Nelson also serves as the Chief Advisor for the China national basketball team. During his two years of service, they equaled their all-time best Olympic finish (8th) in Athens and won the Gold Medal at the 2005 Asian Championships.

Also for the past two years, Nelson has worked with the NBA’s African Top 100 campaign. This outreach program provides educational opportunities to challenged African athletes.

Nelson is the founder of the "Global Games" in Dallas, which gives area high school kids a chance to test themselves against the top Junior National teams in the world. The games completed their eighth season this summer.

In December 2002, Nelson helped create the Assist Youth Foundation. The foundation's goal is to advance opportunities for underprivileged kids in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and across the globe.