Three-time NBA Coach of the Year Don Nelson has died at age 86, his family announced in a statement, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter links).
“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, who was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball of Fame in 2012, ranks second on the all-time win’s list for a head coach, compiling a 1,335-1,063 record over the course of 31 seasons with the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Mavericks. He’s one of two coaches in NBA history record 300-plus wins with three different franchises (Milwaukee, Golden State and Dallas), with the other being Lenny Wilkens, who passed away in November.
Nelson started his NBA career as a player, spending 11 of his 14 seasons with the Celtics and winning five championships. The 6’6″ small forward averaged 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game across 1,043 regular season appearances.
Widely regarded as an offensive innovator, Nelson also had a long career as an executive, serving as both a coach and general manager for the Bucks, Warriors (in his first stint with the team) and Mavericks. He played a key role in the Mavs’ draft-night acquisitions of future Hall of Famers Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki in 1998, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
“Don the legend; happy to be here for him,” Nowitzki said in June, when Nelson received James Naismith Family Legacy Award in Dallas. “He was obviously the guy that jump-started my career.
“He gave me a lot of confidence. His way of seeing basketball, with the whole mismatch and shooting, just played into my hands. I’ve always said if I would have had another coach, if I would have gone to another team, things could have worked out a lot differently.
“Nellie was just the perfect coach for me, to start my career here.”
According to Townsend, Nelson moved from his longtime home in Maui, Hawaii, to Frisco, Texas, earlier this year. He suffered a stroke three weeks ago and had recently been in hospice care, per his family.
Nelson received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association at the 2025 NBA Finals. In addition to his long career in the league, he helped the U.S. National Team to a gold medal at the 1994 FIBA World Championship.
Nelson’s son, Donnie Nelson, succeeded his father as general manager of the Mavericks and spent several years with the organization, including winning a title in 2011.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Nelson’s family and friends.