Farewell to a Legend! Legendary Coach Don Nelson Passes Away at 86, Tributes Pour in from Curry, Nowitzki, Doncic and Others

On August 10, Beijing time, Don Nelson passed away today at the age of 86. He was the second-winningest head coach in NBA history, won five NBA championships as a player, and was a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Nelson's family released a statement saying: "On Sunday morning (local time), our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather Don Nelson passed away peacefully surrounded by his closest family members. In his final week, his loved ones were by his side, filled with affection, cherishing this precious bond, and reminiscing together about the beautiful memories."

Don Nelson coached the Milwaukee Bucks, had two stints with the Golden State Warriors, and also served as head coach for the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks over 31 NBA seasons, posting a regular-season record of 1,335 wins and 1,063 losses. At the time of his retirement, he was the NBA's all-time leader in coaching wins, a record that was broken by Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs in March 2022.

During his coaching career, Nelson led his teams to the playoffs 18 times, with a postseason record of 75 wins and 91 losses. As a player, he won five NBA championships in 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics, who retired his No. 19 jersey in 1978. His NBA playing career spanned 14 seasons in total.

After his playing career ended, Nelson joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach in the 1976-77 season. Just 15 games into that season, the team fired Larry Costello, and Nelson was promoted to head coach.

The following season, he served as both head coach and general manager for the Bucks. Over his 31-year coaching career, he pioneered the unconventional "Nellie Ball" style, building a Hall of Fame coaching résumé. This tactical philosophy was ahead of its time: using smaller, more athletic players to create a fast-paced offense and exploit mismatches through speed. Even years after his retirement, this approach continues to be widely adopted across the league.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr released a statement: "Don Nelson was a true innovator whose impact on basketball is still felt today. He was never afraid to think outside the box, experiment with different lineups and strategies, and always saw possibilities on the court that others missed. Many of the common practices in modern NBA can be traced back to Nelson's coaching ideas."

Nelson was named NBA Coach of the Year three times (1983, 1985, 1992), but never won an NBA championship as a coach.

During his 11 seasons coaching the Bucks, the team missed the playoffs only twice and won the Central Division title for seven consecutive years. However, hampered by the Eastern Conference powerhouses of Boston and Philadelphia, he was never able to lead the team to the NBA Finals and resigned after the 1986-87 season.

After a brief one-year stint as a television commentator, Nelson returned to the sidelines to take over the Golden State Warriors, coaching there for seven seasons before resigning midway through the 1994-95 season. He returned for a second stint with the Warriors ahead of the 2006-07 season, where he spent his final four NBA coaching seasons.

Before the 1995-96 season, Nelson became head coach of the New York Knicks, but was fired after leading the team to a 34-25 record, with assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy taking over.

The following year, Nelson joined the Dallas Mavericks. Through draft-day trades, he acquired future Hall of Famers Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash for the team, completely turning the franchise's fortunes around. He coached the Mavericks for eight seasons, with his son Donnie Nelson initially serving as his assistant and later becoming the team's general manager. The two parted ways in June 2021 after a rift.

Recalling Nowitzki's low-key and little-known time at the "Athletes in Action" training camp in Dallas before the 1998 draft, Nelson told Sports Illustrated: "We hid Dirk for weeks before the draft. We were determined to select him and didn't want him to work out for other teams. He was meant to be ours, and he was very cooperative. So he stayed in Donnie's basement for a week."

Nowitzki expressed his gratitude to his mentor on social media: "Don Nelson... you didn't just draft me; you believed in me unconditionally. You saw my potential before I even realized it myself. I've said it countless times and will keep saying it: Without you becoming my first head coach and giving me that opportunity, I wouldn't have had the career I did..."

In the later stages of Nelson's coaching tenure with the Warriors, he also facilitated the arrival of another superstar who would change the franchise's destiny. In the 2009 NBA Draft, he pushed against the consensus, urging the Warriors to select Stephen Curry with the seventh pick.

Curry released a statement: "A big part of the reason I was drafted by the Warriors is Don Nelson. Everyone says he never liked rookies, but from the day I arrived, he constantly pushed me and gave me the chance to show my best on the court. I learned a lot during that season we worked together. I'll never forget the night he became the NBA's all-time winningest coach in Minnesota; we were all genuinely happy for him. His contribution to the game of basketball is immeasurable, and he will undoubtedly rank among the greatest basketball minds in history. He is a true legend and icon, and countless people he influenced, including myself, will deeply miss him."

Nelson coached in two NBA All-Star Games and led the "Dream Team II" to a gold medal at the 1994 FIBA World Championship.

In 2012, Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2025, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. After the Mavericks' blockbuster trade sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Nelson was very unhappy. At the award ceremony, he wore Doncic's Jordan Brand signature shoes, calling the trade a "huge mistake."

Doncic had a close personal relationship with Donnie Nelson during his time in Dallas. He posted on social media, calling it a sad day for the basketball world.

Doncic wrote: "The passing of Don Nelson is a sad day for basketball. I have immense respect for him, for everything he did for the game, and especially for his appreciation and trust in international players. I am grateful for the time I spent with him. My condolences go out to the Nelson family."

After a standout college career at the University of Iowa, Nelson was selected with the 17th pick in the 1962 NBA Draft by the Chicago Zephyrs, beginning his NBA playing career. Before the 1963-64 season, the Los Angeles Lakers claimed him off waivers, but he saw limited playing time. Ahead of the 1964-65 season, Celtics general manager Red Auerbach signed Nelson as a free agent. He then played 11 seasons in Boston, averaging 11.4 points and 5.2 rebounds, winning five championships.

Throughout his playing career, he played small forward and power forward, appearing in 1,053 regular-season games, averaging 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds; in 150 playoff games, he averaged 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: "Don Nelson rewrote NBA basketball with his fearless vision, extraordinary creativity, and unwavering conviction. He spent nearly five decades in the league, first winning five championships as a player with the Celtics, and then crafting one of the most successful and innovative coaching careers in league history. He did everything with his own distinct style, and his impact on the game will continue to benefit generations to come."

After retiring from coaching, Nelson settled on a 22-acre farm in Maui, Hawaii, and became an entrepreneur. In a 2019 interview with HBO's Real Sports, he revealed that the farm grew flowers, coffee, and marijuana. When Maui was hit by a deadly wildfire in 2023, Nelson opened up his rental properties to house displaced families.