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Don Nelson, Hall of Fame NBA coach, dies at 86
Don Nelson was a very famous basketball player and coach.
He played for the Boston Celtics and won five championships.
Later, he became a coach and led NBA teams for 31 seasons.
He invented a new style of play that people called 'Nellie Ball.'
His teams used smaller players, more open space and lots of three-point shots.
Back then that was unusual, but today many teams play that way.
He won more games than almost any coach in NBA history at the time.
In 2012, he was placed in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Don Nelson died on Sunday, August 9, at the age of 86.
His family said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by the people he loved.
Don Nelson, Hall of Fame NBA coach and five-time champion as a Boston Celtics player, died Sunday, August 9, at age 86.
His family announced his death in a statement without listing a cause, saying he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones.
Nelson coached 31 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, finishing with a 1,335-1,063 record.
He set the NBA's all-time coaching wins record when he passed Lenny Wilkens on April 7, 2010, and held it until Gregg Popovich surpassed him in 2022.
A three-time NBA Coach of the Year and 'Nellie Ball' pioneer, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
- Who
- Don Nelson, Hall of Fame NBA coach, five-time NBA champion as a Boston Celtics player and pioneer of 'Nellie Ball'
- What
- Died at age 86; his family announced his passing in a statement without listing a cause of death
- Where
- Place of death not specified in the articles; the report was datelined San Francisco, United States
- When
- Sunday, August 9, 2026
- Why
- Cause of death not disclosed; his family said he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones
Key facts
- Age at death
- 86
- Cause of death
- Not disclosed
- NBA titles as player (Boston Celtics)
- 5 (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)
- Coaching record
- 1,335-1,063 over 31 seasons (1976-2010)
- All-time wins record
- Held from April 7, 2010 until Gregg Popovich surpassed him in 2022
- Coach of the Year
- 3 times (1983, 1985, 1992)
- Teams coached
- Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks
- Hall of Fame
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2012)
Quotes
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
Commissioner of the National Basketball Association
“Nellie was a tough and reliable all‑around player whose tenacity and ability to ‘think the game’ was on full display throughout his 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics, where he was a key member of five championship teams across two eras.”
news18.com
“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.”
livemint.com
Sources
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