Hall of Fame basketball coach Don Nelson has died at the age of 86. His family issued an statement to announce the death on Sunday, according to reporter Marc Stein.
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the family said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
Nelson was a three-time NBA Coach of the Year winner and won five NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics also retired Nelson’s No. 19 jersey in 1978. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for his achievements in 2012.
In 31 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, along with two stints with the Golden State Warriors, Nelson compiled a 1335-1063 record with seven Central Division titles.
Though he never won an NBA championship as a coach, Nelson ranks second all-time in wins among NBA head coaches, behind only Gregg Popovich, and is one of three coaches to win 1,300 games.
During those 31 seasons, Nelson won 50 or more games 13 times and 60 games twice.
Nelson was an innovator from the beginning of his coaching career, revolutionizing the use of a “point forward” to run offense through a frontcourt player with Paul Pressey and Marques Johnson in Milwaukee. He continued that in Golden State with Chris Mullin and Rod Higgins.
His teams were known for their productive and creative offenses with players including Sidney Moncrief, Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway Sr., Michael Finley, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Stephen Curry.
Unfortunately, Nelson’s teams weren’t nearly as effective on defense, which is likely a reason why he never reached championship success. The closest a Nelson team came to an NBA title was during the 2002-03 season when the Mavericks reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs in six games (due in part to a Nowitzki injury).
However, Nelson did win a gold medal in international play as a coach. He was the head coach of the USA men’s national team for the 1994 FIBA World Cup. The squad was nicknamed “Dream Team II” with a roster that included Shaquille O’Neal, Reggie Miller, Joe Dumars, Alonzo Mourning. Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp and Dominique Wilkins. Team USA defeated Russia in the gold medal game, 137–91.
As a player, Nelson averaged 21.1 points and 10.9 rebounds during three seasons at Iowa. When his Hawkeyes career finished, he was the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,522 points. His career scoring average is still the best in program history.
Nelson was a third-round pick by the Chicago Packers in 1962. He was waived the following season and picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers, for whom he played two seasons. In 1965, Nelson signed as a free agent with the Celtics and played 11 seasons with the team. He was the sixth man as a forward on five NBA championship clubs.
This story will be updated with more information.
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