HONOLULU — Don Nelson, the Hall of Fame coach who won five NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics and became the second-winningest coach in league history, died Sunday at age 86, the NBA and his family said.
Nelson’s family said he died peacefully surrounded by relatives after friends and family had gathered with him during his final week. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Nelson coached for 31 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, compiling a 1,335-1,063 regular-season record. He retired in 2010 as the NBA’s winningest coach, a record surpassed by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in 2022.
He won NBA Coach of the Year honors three times, in 1983, 1985 and 1992, and reached the playoffs 18 times. Nelson never won an NBA championship as a head coach, reaching the conference finals four times.
His coaching career was marked by an unconventional approach that became known as “Nellie Ball,” emphasizing speed, smaller lineups and mismatches. He also helped popularize the point-forward role, developments that influenced the evolution of NBA offenses.
Nelson spent 11 of his 14 NBA playing seasons with Boston and was part of five championship teams. The Celtics retired his No. 19 jersey in 1978. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
His coaching career included a prominent first stint with Golden State, where the “Run TMC” teams featured Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. He later guided the Warriors to a first-round playoff upset of the top-seeded Mavericks in 2007. In his final coaching season, he worked with rookie Stephen Curry.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described Nelson as an influential figure whose impact extended across nearly five decades in the league. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Nelson’s willingness to challenge conventional thinking continued to shape modern basketball.
Nelson is survived by his family. The family has announced a celebration of his life in Dallas for Aug. 13, with a private ceremony in Maui to be scheduled later.
