Don Nelson, Hall of Fame basketball coach and NBA player, dies at 86

Nelson was a five-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics but is champion remembered for his innovative coaching style.

Hall of Famer Don Nelson, the manager with the second-most wins successful NBA ‌history, died connected Sunday. He was 86.

Nelson’s household announced the passing of the five-time champion arsenic a subordinate but didn’t divulge the mode ⁠of death.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Barca oculus three-peat arsenic Mourinho backmost astatine Madrid successful caller La Liga season
• list 2 of 4Marmoush brace helps Man City decision Atletico Madrid successful South Korea
• list 3 of 4Jannik Sinner withdraws from Cincinnati Open with genu injury
• list 4 of 4Brazilian subordinate falls into passageway celebrating goal

“On Sunday greeting our ⁠beloved husband, dad, gramps and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to beryllium with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the Nelson household connection read. “Throughout his past week, friends and household encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his ⁠friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”

Nelson was the all-time person with 1,335 regular-season coaching victories erstwhile helium retired successful 2010, and was lone aboriginal surpassed by San Antonio Spurs manager Gregg Popovich (1,390). His accelerated benignant and usage of smaller diversion players became known arsenic “Nellie Ball”.

The three-time Coach of the Year didn’t triumph ⁠any NBA titles during his 31-year wide tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks (1976-87), Golden State Warriors (1988-95, 2006-10), New York Knicks (1995-96) and Dallas Mavericks (1997-2005). But helium enactment unneurotic 13 seasons of 50 oregon much wins, doubly reaching 60 (once with the Bucks and erstwhile with the Mavericks).

“[Nelson] was a existent hoops visionary who saw the crippled otherwise and was ne'er acrophobic to situation accepted thinking,” the Warriors said successful a statement. “His attack helped signifier the crippled and paved the mode ‌for generations of players and coaches who followed.

“More than anything, Don Nelson volition beryllium remembered for his authenticity, larger-than-life personality, and unthinkable passionateness for basketball, and his power connected the Warriors franchise volition endure for years to come.”

Don Nelson coached NBA prima Dirk Nowitzki for six seasons from 1998–99 done 2003–04 with the Dallas Mavericks [Brian Bahr/Getty Images]

‘Nelson revolutionized NBA basketball’

During Nelson’s clip with the Mavericks, the nine had its oculus connected Dirk Nowitzki, a imaginable from Germany, arsenic the 1998 NBA Draft approached. During the draft, the Milwaukee Bucks tabbed Nowitzki with the ninth wide prime and traded him to Dallas.

Nowitzki developed into a big-time prima during his 7 seasons nether Nelson. He aboriginal led the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA title, won an MVP grant and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ⁠in 2023.

“Nellie… You believed successful me,” Nowitzki said connected societal media. “You saw things successful my crippled earlier I ⁠ever realized I could bash them. I’ve said it a cardinal times and I volition ever accidental it: I don’t deliberation my vocation could person turned retired however it did without you being my archetypal manager and giving maine the state to play my game. I tin lone accidental THANK YOU. For everything.”

Nelson was inducted into the Hall ⁠of Fame arsenic a manager successful 2012.

As a player, Nelson won 5 NBA titles implicit 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics.

He initially reached the NBA with the Chicago Zephyrs (1962-63) aft being the 3rd wide draught pick. ⁠He past spent 2 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers earlier joining a loaded ⁠Boston squad and was 1 of 7 Boston players to mean treble digits successful scoring successful 1967-68. He averaged a career-best 15.4 points and 7.3 rebounds successful 1969-70.

In 134 vocation playoff games, Nelson averaged 11.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. The Celtics retired his fig 19 jersey successful 1978.

“Don Nelson revolutionized NBA hoops done his fearlessness, ingenuity and heavy conviction,” ‌NBA commissioner Adam Silver said successful a statement. “He spent astir 50 years successful the NBA – winning 5 championships arsenic a subordinate with the Boston Celtics earlier gathering 1 of the astir palmy and pioneering coaching careers successful league history. He brought an unmistakable property to everything helium did, and his ‌impact ‌on our athletics volition proceed to beryllium felt for generations.

“I nonstop my deepest condolences to Don’s household and galore friends passim our league.”

In college, Nelson averaged 21.1 points and 10.9 rebounds successful 72 games implicit 3 seasons astatine Iowa.

Nelson won the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award to grant his wide contributions to basketball.