Nelson had second-most coaching wins in NBA history<\/p>\n
Won five titles with Boston Celtics in 1960s and 70s<\/p>\n
Helped develop stars Steph Curry and Dirk Nowitzki<\/p>\n
Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died on Sunday. He was 86.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson \u2060peacefully went to be \u2060with the \u200bLord, surrounded by his loving family,\u201d a statement from his family read. \u201cThroughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the \u2060blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Nelson family did not divulge a cause of death.<\/p>\n
Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises \u2013 Milwaukee , Dallas and Golden State \u2013 also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time coach of the year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, although he never won an NBA title as a coach.<\/p>\n
He also acted as a mentor for players he coached early in their careers, including Dirk Nowitzki and Stephen Curry.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court,\u201d Curry said on Sunday. \u201cHe had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game. He\u2019s a true icon and will be missed by the countless number of people he touched, including myself, during a legendary career. Sending my love to Joy, his family and all those who were fortunate enough to know him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.<\/p>\n
Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.<\/p>\n
His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the \u201cRun TMC\u201d era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.<\/p>\n
Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.<\/p>\n
In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, taking time off after being diagnosed with cancer.<\/p>\n
A limited run women\u2019s basketball newsletter dedicated to the league\u2019s historic 30th season.<\/p>\n