Jeez, if Nelson doesn't retire, I'll have to get out my voodoo doll . OAKLAND, Calif. – After suffering two dizzy spells during his return, Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson has been asked to stay away from the team Friday so his health can be re-evaluated. Nelson returned to the Warriors’ bench for a 111-109 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday night after missing the previous five games with pneumonia. Nelson, 69, looked fatigued and said afterward he had a dizzy spell during the third quarter and following the game. Warriors general manager Larry Riley told Yahoo! Sports he asked Nelson to take Friday’s practice off to rest. Nelson will likely meet with the team’s medical staff on Saturday before deciding whether he should coach that night’s game against the Orlando Magic. “I’ll have him slow down [Friday],” Riley said. “I’m concerned for him personally, but he’ll be all right. We’ll see. It’s a slow process.” Nelson also said he wasn’t certain if he was physically able to go on the Warriors’ four-game road trip that begins Sunday. Assistant coach Keith Smart coached during Nelson’s absence with the Warriors, winning two of the five games. Nelson said he was quarantined during his absence and had plenty of sleep, but he missed the competition. During the Rockets game, he looked tired and slumped on the bench next to Smart. Nelson said he “survived the game” and wasn’t certain why he had dizzy spells. “I hope I keep getting better,” Nelson said. “That’s the plan, to keep getting better.” There has been talk in the Bay Area media that Nelson should consider retiring – talk that he has dismissed. Full article here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...lug=mc-nelsonreturn120409&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
With over $10M at stake and his all-time wins record so close, I think the chances are very small. Basically he would have to be hospitalized and even then I'm not sure he'd retire. From my perspective Nelson is ridiculous, the guy and his family have many millions already, they are stinking rich by any measure, and he probably only has a few years, maybe decades if he's lucky, left on this earth. If it were me I'd say screw the stupid wins record, who is going to care about that in a few years. Is it really that important that you make your final years miserable to achieve it? But Nelson is different, I don't see him just walking away.
I don't think Nelson is planning on retiring. He doesn't think like most people who want to get there ASAP. Here's an article that tells you some of Nelson's thinking. Ok, I can accept wanting to stay on and work if that's what he wants, but he needs to be patient and get over his pneumonia first and become strong again. This man is 69, yet, he's acting like a spoiled kid wanting to do something fun when he's sick. Second, he tends to say one thing and do another. That drives me wild. With his experience, he should know what he wants. Yet, he keeps changing things. If it was an experienced veteran team, then I don't have a problem with changing the roster, but with a young team, you have to make allowances and let the players develop for the good of the team and the long run. I don't see that happening at all with the Warriors. Another thing that drives me nuts. Sacrificing the future for today. It's like Nelson is a spoiled brat and wants to get what he wants, but doesn't see the effect he has on others around him. The big man walked slowly across the interview room. It was a few hours before the Warriors played the Rockets, and the big man walked unsteadily. The big man, of course, is Don Nelson and he had returned from an enforced sabbatical caused by pneumonia and he still had not recovered from his ordeal, not entirely. His eyelids were heavy and when he answered questions his voice was soft and his speech was slow and he labored with the give and take of the pregame interview, struggled with the fundamental act of conversing. Then he dropped a bombshell, said the unexpected, made news. Someone had asked why he’s not taking more time off. It was the most logical question. The Warriors have one more home game Saturday night against Orlando. Then they go on a five-game road trip beginning Tuesday in Oklahoma City and ending in Philadelphia seven days later. It is a killer trip for anyone, especially for a weakened man. Maybe Nelson should cease and desist from coaching until the road trip just to recoup his strength. “I don’t know,” he said. “I got tired of sitting around home. I thought I’d come back and see how it works and then make some decisions. I’m up and down. I feel good, then I feel bad. So we’ll see how it goes. I kind of wanted to come back and I’m not sure I should go on this next trip. I’ll kind of make that decision as I coach these next two games, see how I feel. “I’d love to make this next trip. I have to be smart. I have to see what happens these next two games, how it goes. I have to make sure I get my rest. I’m a little worried about the trip coming up. Some of the people are worried — the time changes — that it may not be a good thing.” That was unexpected. You half-expected Nelson to come roaring back to work just to make his point — he’s fit and ready to go. Now we learn the Houston and Orlando games are a trial balloon. We learn he’s back with the team on a contingent basis and he may take more time off. Does he trust himself to accurately gauge his readiness to coach? “I think so,” he said. “I think I’m fairly careful. I’ve never been 69 before. It’s the first time I’ve gone through something like this at 69. I don’t want to be silly or stupid. I understand age is a factor in these issues.” Eight hours earlier Nelson had met the media at the team’s shootaround. He stood near half court and watched his players and then it was time to talk to the media. Nelson walked gingerly to the courtside seat, sat down heavily. He was wearing a blue jacket even though he was indoors. Several writers stood over him. “I feel good, much better,” he said. “I’m not quite over the pneumonia yet but enough that I think I can come back and coach and be effective. I get a little tired still but I’ll get plenty of rest." His look told a different story from his words. I said some people suggested he should retire, although I didn’t. What did he think about that suggestion? “I already addressed most of that a couple of weeks ago,” he said. “I must have missed it,” I said. “You can look at the films like I do,” he said, “so I’m not going to talk about any of those situations. Any time you’re in a situation where the team isn’t winning consistently, everybody’s going to be a target of those kinds of rumors and accusations. It’s just part of this territory, so I’m dealing with it the best I can.” He grew quiet a moment, began to fan his jacket in and out. His face was white as chalk. “I’m kind of sweaty right now,” he said. “It takes a while to get your energy back. I have to be careful and not try to do too much. I have a great staff that does most of the work anyway. Just to be around is kind of a reward for me. I’ve got to be careful when I stand up I don’t stand up too quickly. “Are you too warm with us around you?” one reporter asked. “Well, I don’t know why,” he said. “Do you want us to give you some space?” the reporter asked. “Probably because Lowell’s here. He’s probably why I’m sweating. Excuse me, can I please stand up? You’re about done with me aren’t you?” The act of standing up took a while. He walked through the group of writers, walked away from them. These two scenes, morning and night, show you a man making the effort to come back. These scenes show you a man who may or may not go on the road with his team. And they make you wonder how long this process will take. And they imply the larger question — always present. Even if he does come back hale and hearty, is he the right coach for this young, flawed, infuriating team, or will this final act come to a bad end just like a previous act years ago? Uneasy comeback for Don Nelson http://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...ORTS0908?Title=Uneasy-comeback-for-Don-Nelson
I'm more concerned about the health of Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell. I think they're healthier than we'd like.
