Hall of Famer Don Nelson, NBA coaching pioneer, dies at 86.

Don Nelson died Sunday, Aug. 9, surrounded by family. He was 86. His family announced the death and did not give a cause.

• 1,335 career wins rank second all-time among NBA coaches.
• Five championship rings came as a Boston Celtics player, 1966–1976.
• Three Coach of the Year awards: 1983, 1985, and 1992.
• He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Why it matters: Nelson built his coaching identity around smaller lineups, floor spacing, and a volume of 3-pointers that the league considered excessive at the time.

• He developed Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas and oversaw Steve Nash's early career before Nash moved to Phoenix.
• Gregg Popovich passed Nelson's win total in 2022; Nelson had held the record since April 7, 2010.

How 28 sources split on this story

What’s next: No cause of death has been disclosed by his family.

• Will the NBA or any of his former franchises hold a formal public tribute?
• How will historians weigh a Hall of Fame career that never included an NBA Finals appearance?