NBA champion player and historic coach Nelson dead at 86
SAN FRANCISCO: Don Nelson, who won the second-most games of any coach in NBA history and five NBA titles as a player with the Boston Celtics, died on Sunday, his family announced. He was 86.
Don Nelson, the NBA champion player and historic coach, died at the age of 86 on Sunday, according to his family. Nelson won the second-most games in NBA history and secured five NBA titles as a player for the Boston Celtics between 1966 and 1976. His jersey number 19 was retired by the Celtics in his honor. As a coach, Nelson amassed a record of 1,335-1,063 across his stints with Golden State, Milwaukee, New York, and Dallas from 1976 to 2010.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised Nelson for revolutionizing the game with his fearlessness, ingenuity, and deep conviction. Despite never reaching the NBA Finals as a coach, Nelson was hailed as a historic figure in the league. The Golden State Warriors, Warriors, and current coach Steve Kerr remembered Nelson as an innovative and influential coach with a larger-than-life personality.
The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks also paid tribute to Nelson's playing career and coaching achievements, respectively. The Dallas Mavericks called him an innovator and legend whose impact on the game of basketball will never be forgotten.
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