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Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history and a five-time champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, has died at the age of 86, his family announced on Sunday.
Nelson was a member of five NBA championship teams with Boston between 1966 and 1976, while the Celtics later retired his No. 19 jersey.
He finished his coaching career with 1,335 wins and 1,063 losses, a record that stood as the NBA’s best until Gregg Popovich surpassed him in 2022. Nelson coached the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks between 1976 and 2010.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described Nelson as a coach who revolutionised basketball through his innovation and willingness to challenge conventional thinking.
“Don Nelson revolutionized NBA basketball through his fearlessness, ingenuity and deep conviction,” Silver said.
Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. Although he never reached the NBA Finals as a head coach, he was widely regarded as one of the most influential coaches in league history.
The Golden State Warriors, where Nelson had two coaching spells, also paid tribute to him, describing him as one of the NBA’s most innovative and influential coaches.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Nelson’s influence could still be seen in the modern NBA.
“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” Kerr said.
The Boston Celtics also remembered Nelson for his playing career, describing him as a tough and dependable all-round player who helped the franchise win five championships across two eras.
Nelson spent 11 seasons with the Celtics and became one of the key figures in the franchise’s championship history.
The Milwaukee Bucks, where Nelson began his NBA coaching career, said his 11-season spell with the team from 1976 to 1987 established him as one of basketball’s most innovative coaches. He won two of his three NBA Coach of the Year awards while with Milwaukee.
The Dallas Mavericks also described Nelson as an innovator and legend whose influence on the franchise and basketball would endure.
Nelson’s coaching career included 31 seasons on NBA benches, during which he won three Coach of the Year awards and established himself as one of the league’s most influential tacticians. He retired from coaching in 2010.
