Legendary NBA coach Don Nelson on growing weed in retirement: 'You've got to treat it like a baby'

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NBA coach Don Nelson sports new look and talks about smoking pot at press conference

Legendary NBA coach Don Nelson sports new look and talks about smoking pot during his retirement at press conference.

The NBA’s winningest coach has gone to pot.

Don Nelson, who spent more than 30 seasons as a head coach with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, revealed in an episode of HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” he’s been running a marijuana farm in Maui since he retired.

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Nelson, 79, calls his strain “Nellie Kush.” However, he made clear that the strain is for his own medicinal use and isn’t for sale. Recreation marijuana is not legal in Hawaii and it wasn’t clear what type of ailment he was using marijuana to treat, according to SF Gate.

“You've got to treat it like a baby,” he said when asked about how he cultivates his strain. “You've got to water them. You've got to have music for them. You've got to bless them. It's a whole process, I'm telling you.”

Nelson recorded 1,335 wins over the course of his career. He won the NBA Coach of the Year Award three times but missed out on that elusive NBA championship.

When asked if he smokes every day, Nelson replied: “Oh, yeah.”

Nelson re-emerged in February donning a new look as the Warriors were honoring the “We Believe” team. He was asked about what he had been up to since he retired.

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“I've been smoking some pot,” Nelson said. “I never smoked when I played or coached so it's new to me. I'm doing that and I'm having a pretty good time. It's more legal now than it's ever been, so I'm enjoying that.”

Nelson told The New York Times last year he has moved to Hawaii and that Willie Nelson got him hooked on smoking marijuana. He said his medical card allows him to smoke and grow up to 10 plants legally.