Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on from the bench in the final minutes of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on from the bench in the final minutes of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.
The NBA world was saddened to hear the news of legendary former head coach Don Nelson passing away at the age of 86. Nelson was a three-time NBA Coach of the Year and also won five NBA championships with the Boston Celtics as a player.
Nelson is already receiving tributes, and one came from Luka Doncic.
“It’s a sad day for basketball with the passing of Don Nelson. I have so much respect for him and everything he did for the game, especially the way he believed in international players. I’m grateful for the time I spent with him. Thinking of the entire Nelson family today. I loved getting to know you, Coach,” Doncic wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Another one came from the Mavericks, where he coached for some time.
“A basketball innovator. A Mavericks legend. An impact that will never be forgotten. We mourn the passing of former Mavericks head coach Don Nelson and celebrate a life that left an incredible mark on our franchise and the game of basketball. Rest in peace, Nellie,” the Mavericks wrote on X.
Nelson coached the Milwaukee Bucks and won Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1985, then coached the Golden State Warriors and won his third award in 1992. He ended his coaching career in 2010 with the Golden State Warriors, and Stephen Curry noted Nelson was his first NBA coach in his tribute to him.
“One 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. He taught me a lot during our one season together and I'll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota,” Curry wrote.