Don Nelson, the Hall of Fame coach who ranks second all-time in NBA regular-season wins, has died at 86, his family announced Sunday. Nelson played 14 seasons in the NBA and won five championships with the Boston Celtics. “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. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.” A three-time winner of the NBA Coach of the Year award, Nelson head coached for 31 NBA seasons, leading the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. He had a unique coaching style that became known as “Nellie Ball,” characterized by challenging the traditional emphasis on size, instead leaning on speed and athleticism to create mismatches on the court. “Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said in a statement Sunday. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not.”
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