Don and Don Jr., who were suspended, watched the Mavs opener, in a bar, wearing a prison outfit as a joke. LOL. I just saw it on ESPN. I'll try to find a picture.
How 'bout this one? Coaches Don (right) and Donnie Nelson, dressed in prison garb, served their NBA suspension at a local bar/restaurant Wednesday night. Suspended animation: Nelsons enjoy fans' viewFree beer flows as suspended Mavs coaches watch team win opener 10/31/2002 By TODD WILLS / The Dallas Morning News Don Nelson celebrated the Dallas Mavericks' opening night like the average fan instead of the team's head coach. He polished off a burger and fries, tossed down a few long necks and mixed in a few "Yeah, babies" to his team, hundreds of miles away in Memphis, Tenn. Then he ended this unusual night away from the bench shouting out a great one-liner, not at the referees, but at Mavericks fans – "Free beer for everybody." Thus went a wild Wednesday night where close to 1,500 fans took up Mr. Nelson's and the Mavericks' offer to join them at Dave & Buster's in northwest Dallas for a special Mavericks watching party. The Mavericks did their part in Memphis, whipping the Grizzlies, 119-108, at The Pyramid with assistant Del Harris at the helm. Mr. Nelson was serving a suspension handed down by the National Basketball Association on Oct 18. But Mr. Nelson hopes he coached the NBA into how to make the most of a few nights away from his team. He came dressed for the occasion – in a black and white striped jailbird suit and cap in tribute to his suspension. NBA commissioner David Stern's "been a promoter all his life," Mr. Nelson said. "He might need a sense of humor for this." The NBA suspended Mr. Nelson and son Donnie, the team's president of basketball operations, two games for being in a Belgrade gym where Yugoslavian players ineligible for the draft were working out. The team was also fined $150,000. The Mavericks' public relations event drew at least 200 fans in The Showroom, where the Nelsons, Don's wife, Joy, and other Mavericks staff watched the game. The night out drew everyone from Cowboys rookie Roy Williams to fan Ramon Ortiz, who coaxed Mr. Nelson into autographing his right arm during a timeout. "I'm not going to bathe for a week," said Mr. Ortiz, from Dallas, who had signatures on his arm from the Nelsons and Mavericks dancers. The Nelsons came up with the idea to do something different on a bus in Orlando, Fla., where the Mavericks played their final exhibition game last week. They sold team calendars for $10, with proceeds going to various Dallas-area children's charities. There will be another game-watching party at Billy Bob's in Fort Worth for Saturday's home opener against the Phoenix Suns. "It's better than staying home," said Donnie Nelson, also a Mavs assistant coach. The Nelsons and rookie Adam Harrington signed calendars, basketballs and Mr. Ortiz's arm before the game started and during commercial breaks. Mr. Harrington, the final player to make the roster, was left speechless by his first official night as a Maverick. "I didn't draw it up like this," said Mr. Harrington, who is on injured reserve because of tendinitis in his left knee. "I would love to be there, but I'm getting to sit here with Donnie, getting his input on the game. What an atmosphere." Don Nelson said he was able to take in about 80 percent of the action and would watch a videotape of the game when he got home. He mingled with fans. "We love the blue-collar, average fan," Donnie Nelson said. Don Nelson started getting restless before the game, and by the third quarter, he was as boisterous as the crowd, yelling, "Yeah, baby, Raef" when forward Raef LaFrentz drilled a 3-pointer to give the Mavericks a commanding 89-68 lead. There were also barbs from fans about much-maligned Shawn Bradley. "Trade Shawn Bradley, trade him" crowed one fan when the center missed a dunk. Don Nelson missed that. "It's good I'm hard of hearing." The night ended with fans chanting, "Nellie, Nellie, Nellie." No one knew if it was for an opening-night win or a round on Mr. Nelson.
