Don Nelson, Second On Nba Coaching Win List And Winner Of Five Celtics Titles, Dies

Don Nelson, nan second-winningest coach successful NBA history who won 5 championships arsenic a subordinate pinch nan Boston Celtics, died Sunday. He was 86.

Nelson’s decease was announced by nan Golden State Warriors, 1 of nan teams he coached. They did not merchandise details.

Nelson is 1 of 2 coaches successful NBA history to person astatine slightest 250 wins pinch 3 different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — besides serving arsenic wide head for each 3 franchises. He was a three-time coach of nan twelvemonth and made nan playoffs 18 times successful 31 seasons. He went to nan convention finals 3 times pinch nan Bucks and erstwhile pinch nan Mavericks, ne'er winning a title.

Nelson introduced what is now known arsenic nan constituent forward, and his up-tempo style of discourtesy created a buzz. He said nan thought of shifting from nan ascendant large men of nan 1970s to an discourtesy focused connected velocity and nan accelerated break came from his playing days nether Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.

The Celtics’ Don Nelson drives to nan handbasket nether unit from Milwaukee’s Cornell Warner connected May 12, 1974, successful Milwaukee.

(Associated Press)

“The convention really hadn’t seen an discourtesy for illustration nan 1 we were running, and nan results were undeniable,” Nelson wrote successful 2016 successful The Players’ Tribune.

Nelson said that “without Red Auerbach school maine nan mechanics of moving nan accelerated break, nary of it would person been possible. He deserves each nan in installments for Nellie Ball, and for really accelerated nan crippled of hoops is played today.”

Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons successful Boston and was connected 5 Celtics title teams nether 4 different coaches. He became an adjunct coach successful Milwaukee aft retiring arsenic a player, past took complete aft coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into nan 1976-77 season. Nelson coached nan Bucks for 11 seasons starting successful 1976 and won 7 consecutive section titles.

In Nelson’s 2nd season, Milwaukee overcame a 29-point 4th fourth shortage to hit Atlanta 117-115 successful regulation.

“I coached nan squad arsenic though I was still playing for nan Celtics, while implementing a fewer of my ain strategies,” Nelson wrote. “I knew I wanted to play unconventional hoops and usage velocity to my advantage.”

His fast-paced offenses were astir apt champion connected show pinch Golden State successful nan “Run TMC” era featuring early Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them connected nan tribunal astatine nan aforesaid time.

Nelson spent 11 seasons complete 2 stints pinch Golden State. The first 1 was punctuated by a rift pinch rookie prima Chris Webber, who was traded distant a period into his 2nd season. Nelson, demoralized by nan trade, missed 9 games that play owed to unwellness and resigned nether unit 3 months later successful February 1995.

In between, Nelson was fired aft little than 1 play successful New York successful 1995-96, past coached successful Dallas for 8 seasons, missing 21 games pinch nan Mavericks starting successful December 2000 to recuperate from prostate crab surgery.

Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his begetter arsenic an adjunct coach pinch nan Mavericks successful 1998, later became wide head and remained pinch nan statement until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German prima Dirk Nowitzki to walk up European hoops and subordinate nan Mavericks. Don Nelson besides developed Steve Nash into 1 of nan NBA’s apical constituent guards earlier Nash went connected to triumph back-to-back MVPs pinch nan Phoenix Suns successful 2005 and 2006.

Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson celebrates pinch his squad aft breaking nan grounds for NBA profession coaching victories pinch a triumph complete nan Minnesota Timberwolves connected April 7, 2010, successful Minneapolis. It was Nelson’s 1,333rd win.

(Paul Battaglia / Associated Press)

“Don Nelson was a existent innovator whose power connected nan crippled of hoops is still felt today,” existent Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He consistently challenged accepted thinking, experimented pinch different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities successful nan crippled that others often did not. So overmuch of what is now commonplace successful nan modern NBA tin beryllium traced backmost to nan measurement Nellie approached nan game.”

At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and nan top-seeded Mavericks successful nan first information of nan 2007 playoffs successful 1 of nan biggest shockers successful NBA history. In his last play arsenic a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry successful 2009-10.

“One of nan large reasons I was drafted by nan Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The communicative is he ne'er liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged maine and gave maine an opportunity to beryllium my champion aforesaid connected nan court,” Curry said successful a connection released by nan Warriors. “He taught maine a batch during our 1 play together and I’ll ne'er hide nan nighttime he became nan winningest coach successful NBA history successful Minnesota. We were truthful happy for him. He had an immeasurable effect connected nan athletics and will spell down arsenic 1 of nan top minds successful nan history of nan game.”

Davis added: “When I deliberation of Nellie, I’ll ever deliberation of nan ‘We Believe’ squad and our unthinkable tally successful 2007. He understood what made america spell and made america judge we could hit anybody, yet helping america make history arsenic nan first No. 8 seed to conclusion a No. 1 seed successful a seven-game series. That clip successful my life and profession was genuinely special, and Nellie was a immense portion of making it possible.”

Don Nelson laughs while receiving nan Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award during a news convention connected June 8, 2025, successful Oklahoma City.

(Kyle Phillips / Associated Press)

Nelson retired arsenic nan NBA’s profession coaching wins leader pinch 1,335, conscionable up of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that apical spot for astir 12 years earlier adjacent friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him successful March 2022.

Nelson was inducted into nan Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame successful 2012. In 2025 he received nan Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by nan National Basketball Coaches Association. Miffed that nan Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to nan Lakers successful a blockbuster trade, Nelson wore a brace of Doncic’s signature Jordan Brand sneakers to nan awards ceremony. He called nan waste and acquisition a “tremendous mistake.”

Born successful Muskegon, Mich., Nelson attended precocious schoolhouse successful Rock Island, Illinois, and averaged a double-double successful assemblage astatine Iowa. He spent his status years surviving connected nan Hawaiian land of Maui and owned respective short-term rentals connected nan island.