Five-time NBA champion, coaching legend Don Nelson dies at 86
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- NBA coaching legend Don Nelson, who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, has died at age 86.
- Nelson amassed 1,335 coaching victories, a record at the time of his retirement, during stints with multiple NBA teams.
- He is remembered as a revolutionary and innovative coach whose influence on the game continues to be felt.
Don Nelson, a towering figure in basketball history known for his five NBA championships as a player and a record-setting coaching career, has died at the age of 86. His family announced his passing on Sunday.
Don Nelson revolutionized NBA basketball through his fearlessness, ingenuity and deep conviction.
Nelson was a key member of the Boston Celtics dynasty, winning five titles between 1966 and 1976. His jersey number 19 was retired by the Celtics. As a coach, he led the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Dallas Mavericks, accumulating 1,335 wins. This total was an NBA record until Gregg Popovich surpassed it in 2022.
He brought an unmistakable personality to everything he did, and his impact on our sport will continue to be felt for generations.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver lauded Nelson as someone who "revolutionized NBA basketball through his fearlessness, ingenuity and deep conviction." Silver added that Nelson's "impact on our sport will continue to be felt for generations." The Golden State Warriors, where Nelson had a significant coaching tenure, called him "one of the most innovative and influential coaches in NBA history and an iconic figure in Warriors history."
The Golden State Warriors mourn the passing of Hall of Fame head coach Don Nelson. 'Nellie' was one of the most innovative and influential coaches in NBA history and an iconic figure in Warriors history…
Current Warriors coach Steve Kerr echoed these sentiments, describing Nelson as a "true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today." Kerr noted that Nelson "consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play, and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not." The Celtics also paid tribute to Nelson's playing career, highlighting his "tenacity and ability to 'think the game.'"
Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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