Don Nelson

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Born
1940-05-15
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Muskegon, United States

Died
2026-08-09 (Aged 86)
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Position
Small Forward

Status
Deceased

Ethnicity
White

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Height
1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)

Weight
95 kg (209 lb)

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Sport

Basketball

Team
_Deceased Basketball

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Description

Donald Arvid Nelson (May 15, 1940 – August 9, 2026) was an American former professional basketball player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors. After an All-American career at the University of Iowa, Nelson won five NBA championships playing with the Boston Celtics, with his number 19 retired by the franchise in 1978.

His unique brand of basketball was often referred to as "Nellie Ball". A coaching innovator, Nelson is credited with, among other things, pioneering the concept of the point forward, a tactic which is frequently employed by teams at every level today. He was named one of the Top 10 coaches in NBA history.

On April 7, 2010, Nelson passed Lenny Wilkens for first place on the all-time NBA wins list with his 1,333rd career win. His all-time record coaching record was 1,335–1,063 (.557). Nelson held the record for the most regular season wins of any coach in NBA history until he was surpassed by Gregg Popovich in 2022. Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.