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Warriors’ Steve Kerr honors late Don Nelson with pregame beer

The Golden State Warriors paid tribute to legendary coach Don Nelson during Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center, marking what was dubbed ‘Nellie Night.’ In a touching pregame gesture, head coach Steve Kerr honored Nelson by taking a sip of Bud Light—a nod to the late coach’s tradition of bringing a beer to his postgame media sessions during the Warriors’ 2007 playoff run. Nelson’s habit was short-lived after the Warriors’ underdog victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, prompting the NBA to ban beer in the postgame interview room.

Fans entering the arena received commemorative ‘Nellie’ pins, and souvenir koozies were sold to further celebrate Nelson’s legacy, who remains the franchise’s second-winningest coach with 1,335 victories across two stints (1988–95 and 2006–10). The team also plans to wear a ‘Nellie’ band on their uniforms through the 2026–27 season.

Former players like Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes, and Chris Mullin, along with Nelson’s family, attended the game, honoring the Hall of Famer who passed away in August at age 86.

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