DALLAS – The basketball world lost one of its ultimate visionaries on Sunday with the passing of Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson at age 86. A three-time NBA Coach of the Year and five-time champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, “Nellie” revolutionized the game with his innovative “Nellie Ball” small-ball lineups, spacing and mismatch concepts. But beyond his 1,335 career coaching victories and tactical genius, Nelson’s deepest impact was often felt in the personal connections he built with his players, reigniting confidence and restoring a genuine passion for the game.

For Utah Jazz assistant coach Jason “The Jet” Terry, Nelson was the steady hand that reshaped the trajectory of his career when he arrived in Dallas in 2004.

“Brought the Love and the Joy Back”

Arriving via trade following five grueling, losing seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, the team that drafted him in 1999, Terry admitted that the constant defeat had taken a heavy toll on his spirit.

“Don Nelson was my first coach in Dallas when I arrived in 2004,” Terry recalled with ScoopB.com Sunday afternoon by phone.

“And when I tell you, the joy of basketball–coming from Atlanta where I was drafted in ’99, played for five years, and didn’t… didn’t win, right? I started to lose the love for the game because of the losing, and then put in that position into a winning organization with a historic winning coach that brought the love and the joy back to basketball for me.”

For Terry, Nelson’s leadership extended far beyond X’s and O’s on the chalkboard.

“Not only was it how Don coached and ran the team, but it was more of the person he was and our interaction off the court which really gave me that love,” Terry said.

The Dallas Legacy & A Rafters-Worthy Bond

That spark under Nelson laid the groundwork for one of the most beloved eras in Dallas Mavericks history. Terry went on to capture the 2009 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award and served as an indispensable cornerstone of Dallas’ historic 2011 NBA Championship run.

With his deep roots in the Dallas-Fort Worth community, Terry reflected on the sentiment surrounding whether his No. 31 jersey should one day hang from the rafters at the American Airlines Center.

“I think it would be a tremendous honor,” Terry said. “Obviously, the years I spent in Dallas were some very pivotal ones. I had the opportunity to amass individual success along with team success–being a Sixth Man of the Year, and then an NBA Champion, but more importantly, the impact that I have in the community.”

Though born and raised in Seattle, Dallas quickly transformed into Terry’s second hometown.

“Dallas is a second home now,” Terry shared. 

“My kids live there, my granddaughter lives there, I still run my girls’ basketball program out of Dallas. And so, it has a special place in my heart. That honor would not only be for me, but it would be for all the people that supported me along the way throughout my career in Dallas. So, yeah. Tremendous honor.”

Passing the Torch: Mentoring the Next Generation in Utah

Today, Terry carries Nelson’s spirit of belief and player empowerment onto the sidelines as an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz under head coach Will Hardy. Bringing 19 years of battle-tested NBA experience, Terry focuses on nurturing young talent, developing wings and instilling high-level basketball IQ.

Among the rising stars Terry keeps a close eye on is Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason, whom Terry has tracked since Eason’s prep days in the Pacific Northwest.

“Good player,” Terry noted. “I’ve seen him develop. He went to my rival high school, Seattle’s Garfield High School–I went to Franklin–so I’ve always kept up with him and watched his career, even when he went to the one year in college. I always thought he was an NBA prospect, I thought he had NBA skill defensively, and now he’s starting to find his way offensively. He’s starting to create an identity for himself with a great organization and a good coach that understands that he needs players to star in their role. He’s a connector, he’s a glue guy, someone that can have a long career in the NBA.”

Within the Jazz’s own locker room, Terry has taken a hands-on mentorship role with young cornerstone Ace Bailey as he prepares for a crucial leap in his second season.

“Year two will still be more development and growing,” Terry said of Bailey.

“But he’ll definitely hopefully earn more responsibility out there on the floor with minutes. What I’ve seen is a guy coming into the league basically wet behind the ears and not knowing anything, and then get his development process implemented and sped up. As he learned, he got more and more responsibility.”

It’s Bailey’s infectious energy and relentless gym ethic that reminds Terry of the pure love for hoops that coaches like Don Nelson always cherished.

“He’s one of those quick learners,” Terry added.

“He’s a hard worker and he’s another guy that just brings life to your gym. It’s refreshing and it’s good to have around. It is infectious; his attitude and his approach to basketball and to being in the gym. He is a hoop-a-holic, a gym rat.”

From learning under one of basketball’s legendary innovators to shaping the NBA’s future stars, Jason Terry’s basketball journey continues to come full circle, rooted in the joy of the game Nellie gave back to him.