Don Nelson, second-winningest coach in NBA history, dies at 86 - ESPN

Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history, a five-time NBA champion as a player and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has died, it was announced Sunday. He was 86.

«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,» Nelson's family said in a statement, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein. «Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.»

In 31 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors (twice), New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, Nelson finished with a regular-season record of 1,335-1,063. He retired with the most coaching wins ever, a mark that was broken by the San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich in March 2022.

Nelson made 18 playoff appearances as a coach, finishing with a 75-91 postseason record.

As a player, Nelson won five NBA titles in 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics, who retired his No. 19 jersey in 1978. Overall, he played 14 seasons in the NBA.

Immediately following his playing career, Nelson joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach for the 1976-77 season. Just 15 games into that season, he was promoted to head coach after Larry Costello was fired.

From there, Nelson, who added general manager to his title the following season with Milwaukee, used an unorthodox coaching style that became known as «Nellie Ball» to put together a Hall of Fame résumé during his 31 seasons. Nellie Ball proved to be ahead of its time, utilizing smaller, more athletic players to fuel a fast-paced offense that prioritized creating mismatches through