Donnie Nelson once told me that he only put his reputation on the chopping block for a player three times.
Except he didn’t say “reputation.”
The first time was for a goofy-looking German kid whose skinny frame made his dorky hair look even more geeky.
We all know how that turned out.
The other times were for a Canadian point guard and a teenage sensation from Slovenia.
Rest assured that Nelson left the Mavericks on Wednesday with his reputation and everything else perfectly intact.
If you talk about the people who have defined the Mavericks’ organization, Nelson isn’t at the top of the list.