Aptly nicknamed the “Mad Scientist” for introducing concepts that were simply taboo back then, former head coach Don Nelson truly was an innovator and ahead of his time.

The record holder for most coaching wins was the man that ushered outside shooting big men (most notably with the 7-foot-6 Manute Bol), playmaking forwards (first used with Paul Pressey when he coached the Milwaukee Bucks then later Anthony Mason with the New York Knicks), and two (sometimes three) guard line-ups.

These experiments are collectively known under the umbrella term “Nellie Ball” or in a much broader sense, “Small Ball”, and what would later come to be the norm in the modern NBA.

Out of the spotlight and happily retired in his home in Maui since resigning as coach of the Golden State Warriors in 2010, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer is back to his mad scientist ways. This time in the field of botany. Well, cannabis cultivation to be exact.

In an interview with Alex Williams of the New York Times, Nelson revealed that not only does he host poker games that involve high-profile celebrities like Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson, he now grows marijuana in his farm and even started smoking them… thanks to the former.

I’ve got a farm, yeah, I do. We grow some pot and flowers and coffee, and I’ve got a fish farm up there. No, I didn’t smoke until maybe three or four years ago. I never smoked when I was coaching. I just started. Willie got me smoking.

Known for his drinking habit, Nelson also revealed that he gave up alcohol in favor of pot.

I don’t drink anymore, because I like pot better. It’s about the same as alcohol, except you don’t have the aftereffect. There’s no hangover. I mean, I don’t drink to excess, anyway. But you know, even if you have a couple of drinks, you’re liable to have a headache in the morning.