Some, giggling at some of his imaginative lineups, called him the mad scientist of the NBA. Others considered him cunning, even ruthless, a shrewd behind-the-scenes manipulator with a gift for obscuring his ulterior motives with a smile or a joke.Don Nelson was all that and more.
The former Golden State Warriors coach who in 2012 entered the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, died Sunday at age 86. It is conceivable that no coach in NBA history did more moving and shaking and feuding, on the court and off, than Nelson. Hall of Famer Don Nelson, three-time NBA Coach of the Year and five times a champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, has died at age 86.
The family has issued this statement:
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson… pic.twitter.com/MkDMNugYcu
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 9, 2026 No coach did more winning, either, until one of Nelson’s disciples, San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, supplanted him atop the NBA’s career wins list in March 2022.
Nelson was the first coach to make copious use of a...