Don Nelson, the second most successful coach by wins in National Basketball Association history and a five-time champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, died on Sunday morning at the age of 86.
His family announced the death, which was confirmed by the Golden State Warriors, one of four franchises he coached. He had suffered a stroke and entered hospice care shortly before.
What did he achieve?
Nelson finished with a regular season record of 1,335 wins and 1,063 defeats across 31 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. He retired holding the record for most coaching wins, a mark Gregg Popovich passed in March 2022.
He was named Coach of the Year three times, in 1983, 1985 and 1992, and reached the playoffs in 18 of those seasons. He never won a championship as a coach.
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Coaching record | 1,335-1,063 |
| Seasons as head coach | 31 |
| Titles as a player | 5, with Boston |
| Coach of the Year | 1983, 1985, 1992 |
| Hall of Fame | 2012 |
Who was Don Nelson?
Don Nelson was an American basketball player and coach who died on 9 August 2026, aged 86. He won five NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976, and his number 19 shirt is retired by the franchise. As a head coach across 31 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, he recorded 1,335 wins against 1,063 defeats, retiring as the winningest coach in league history until Gregg Popovich passed the mark in March 2022. He was named Coach of the Year in 1983, 1985 and 1992, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. He is credited with introducing the point forward position and with popularising the fast, small-lineup style now common across the sport. He never won a championship as a coach.
What was his influence on the game?
Nelson is credited with introducing the point forward, using a taller player to initiate the offence, and with building teams around speed rather than size at a time when the league was organised around dominant centres.
That approach was most visible during his first spell at Golden State in the early 1990s, when he played Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin together in a lineup known as Run TMC. Hardaway said on Sunday that Nelson was ahead of his time and that there was nobody else like him.
Nelson traced the philosophy to his playing years under Red Auerbach in Boston, writing that he coached as though he were still playing for the Celtics.
What about his playing career?
He played from 1962 to 1976 for the Chicago Zephyrs, Los Angeles Lakers and Celtics, scoring 10,898 points with 5,192 rebounds. He won titles in Boston in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976, the last in his final season.
His most remembered moment came in game seven of the 1969 Finals against the Lakers, a jump shot from the foul line that struck the back of the rim, bounced high and dropped with Boston leading by a point in the closing minutes.
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The Redline News Desk
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