DALLAS, Feb. 7 -- Don Nelson, out of basketball since he was fired as head coach of the New York Knicks last March, Friday was named general manager of the Dallas Mavericks. An announcement was made at an afternoon news conference at Reunion Arena . He replaces Keith Grant, who resigned on Oct. 17. In the interim, minority owner Frank Zaccanelli acted as general manager. 'This is a big day for our franchise,' Zaccanelli said. 'For months, we've been working diligently behind the scenes to find the right general manager to lead our basketball operation. We're extremely fortunate to have Don Nelson on board to fill that role. Over the last 30-plus years, he's become one of the most respected figures in the NBA. There is no better person to complement (Dallas coach) Jim Cleamons and his staff in building a winning team.' The 56-year-old Nelson was fired as the Knicks coach last March 8, with a 34-26 record. Nelson previously served dual roles as head coach and vice president of basketball operations of the Milwaukee Bucks. He was head coach and general manager of the Golden State Warriors from 1988 to 1995. Next to Atlanta Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens, Nelson has won more games as a player and coach (2,534) than anyone in league history. 'I never dreamed a month ago I'd be here or be back in the league,' Nelson said. 'I'm really excited. This is quite a challenge, but I'm up to it.
There's nothing more rewarding than to take a team that's down and build it into a contender. I've done it twice and I can do it again. That's the thing I live for. 'I've been a coach and GM at the same time throughout my career, but turning a team around has always been the most rewarding part of the job for me,' said Nelson, who is sixth on the all-time coaching wins list with an 851-630 (.575) record. 'As far as I'm concerned, I'm finished coaching.' That statement should relieve Cleamons. 'I'm excited about the opportunity to work with Nellie,' Cleamons said. 'I'm in favor of anything that helps us win ballgames, and the addition of someone with Nellie's knowledge and experience will only help our basketball team.'
