Don Nelson dies at 86: Hall of Fame NBA coach, Celtics champion and Nellie Ball pioneer passes away

Don Nelson, the innovative Hall of Fame coach and five-time NBA champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, passed away on Sunday, August 9, at the age of 86. His family shared the news in a statement without listing a cause of death.

“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,” the statement read. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessings of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”

A championship player in Boston

Before becoming one of the game’s most influential coaches, Don Nelson built a solid playing career. The 6-foot-6 forward from Iowa was selected 17th overall by the Chicago Zephyrs in 1962. After three seasons and a short stop elsewhere, the Celtics claimed him. He spent the next 11 years in Boston, winning titles in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976.

Nelson averaged 10.3 points for his career and once played 465 consecutive games. The Celtics retired his No. 19 jersey, a rare honor for a player known more for toughness and timely production than flashy stats. He was a reliable piece on teams featuring Bill Russell and other legends.

The birth of Nellie Ball

Ben Nelson’s true impact came on the sideline. He coached 31 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors (two stints), New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. His career record stood at 1,335-1,063. He passed Lenny Wilkens for the all-time wins mark on April 7, 2010, and held the record until Gregg Popovich surpassed him in 2022.

He never reached the NBA Finals as a head coach, yet his teams made the playoffs 18 times and claimed eight division titles. Nelson earned Coach of the Year honors three times in 1983, 1985 and 1992. The NBA named him one of its 10 greatest coaches in 1996 and placed him on the top-15 list in 2021. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. He also guided Dream Team II to gold at the 1994 world championships.

What set him apart was “Nellie Ball.” At a time when most teams pounded the ball inside, Nelson used smaller lineups, wider spacing and a heavy dose of three-pointers. He hunted mismatches all over the floor. The style looked radical then. Today it is standard.

In Golden State he coached the high-flying Run TMC trio of Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond. In Dallas he gave a skinny young Dirk Nowitzki the freedom to stretch the floor and handed the keys to Steve Nash for six seasons before Nash moved to Phoenix. Those decisions helped reshape how the league thinks about big men and pace.

A lasting legacy

Ben Nelson’s ideas spread across the NBA long after he left the bench. Coaches still borrow from his playbook. Players he developed became stars.

He leaves behind a family that described him as a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. The basketball world remembers a pioneer who won five rings as a player, stacked more than 1,300 coaching victories and changed the way the game is played. Don Nelson’s influence will be felt for years to come.