The NBA world lost one of its greats on Sunday, as Hall of Famer Don Nelson has passed away at the age of 86. His family announced the news, saying, “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. Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
Nelson was a legendary figure with the Golden State Warriors and numerous other teams. After a collegiate career at Iowa, Nelson played briefly with the Chicago Zephyrs and Los Angeles Lakers before cementing his legacy with an 11-year tenure on the Boston Celtics, in which he won five NBA championships and had his No. 19 jersey retired.
In his first year after hanging up his sneakers, Nelson worked as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, but was promoted to head coach just 18 games into the season. A year later, he took on double duty as both coach and general manager, and held both roles for more than a decade. He resigned in 1988 due to fractured relationship with Milwaukee’s owner.
That led to Nellie’s first stint with the Warriors. He took over as Golden State’s head coach in 1988, and coached for six seasons before resigning in February of 1995. With the Warriors, Nelson formed the famous Run TMC era, as Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin became a fast-paced, free-wheeling, highly-entertaining trio.
After a brief stint coaching the New York Knicks, and eight years at the helm of the Dallas Mavericks, Nellie returned to the Warriors for the 2006-07 season. In his first year back in the Bay Area, Nelson formed built the deeply entertaining We Believe Warriors squad, when the eighth-seeded Dubs shocked the top-seeded Mavericks for one of the biggest upsets in NBA history.
Nelson continued coaching the Warriors through the 2009-10 season, which was Steph Curry’s rookie year, before resigning. It has been reported that Nelson was one of the strongest voices advocating for the Warriors to draft Curry, while many had questions about the future superstar’s ability to survive against the size and physicality of the NBA.
That was Nelson’s final year in the NBA, after which he retired to Maui where he was known for his celebrity-filled poker games and his marijuana farm.
Nelson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012, finished his playing career with 10,898 points and five rings, and his coaching career with a 1,335-1,063 record, 18 playoff appearances, and three Coach of the Year honors (including in 1992 with the Warriors).
Rest in peace, Nellie.
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