Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson hugs Stephen Curry, (30), as they celebrate their win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors defeat the Pistons 95-88. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff)
Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson hugs Stephen Curry, (30), as they celebrate their win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors defeat the Pistons 95-88. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff)
The basketball world has lost one of its titans, as former Warriors coach and executive Don Nelson died Sunday at the age of 86.
Nelson has the second-most coaching wins in NBA history with a record of 1,335-1,063 over 31 seasons leading the Warriors, as well as the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. He was only surpassed after retiring by Gregg Popovich, who was a Warriors assistant under Nelson with the Warriors in the early 1990s.
Those who knew the man who oversaw the “Run TMC” and “We Believe” eras in Golden State mourned him publicly, lauding his creativity and ability to help players operate freely on the court.
“He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said in a release from the team.
“His impact on the Warriors is just as significant. He helped shape some of the most memorable teams and moments in franchise history and built a lasting connection with generations of Warriors fans.”
“Don Nelson was one of the most innovative and influential coaches in the history of the NBA and an iconic figure in Warriors history. During two memorable stints as head coach, ‘Nellie’ left an indelible mark on our franchise with his approach to the game,” a Warriors statement read.
“Don was a true basketball visionary whose impact stretched well beyond Golden State. He saw the game differently and was never afraid to challenge conventional thinking. His approach helped shape the game and paved the way for generations of players and coaches who followed.”
Nelson is still the coaching wins leader in Milwaukee, where he won two Coach of the Year awards in his first 11 seasons as a head coach. He’s second in Dallas Mavericks history and third behind Kerr and Al Attles in the Warriors’ record book.
He took over a Golden State team that had won just 20 games in 1987-88 under George Karl and led the Warriors, featuring young stars Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond, to a 43-39 season and a first-round sweep of the higher-seeded Utah Jazz.
Oakland, CA October 20 - Assistant coach Gregg Popovich, Paul Pressey, and Don Nelson. (Nick Lammers / Daily Review Staff Archives)
Oakland, CA October 20 - Assistant coach Gregg Popovich, Paul Pressey, and Don Nelson. (Nick Lammers / Daily Review Staff Archives)
Tim Hardaway joined up the next season as the small-ball Warriors made the playoffs in four of Nelson’s six full seasons in charge before he left midway through the 1994-95 season. Another life highlight came in the middle of that run: Nelson married his wife, Joy, in a 1991 ceremony at the Oakland Arena.
“We shared so much together over the years, and I’ll always be grateful for the role he played in my life and career,” Mullin said of Nelson. “Nellie was more than a coach to me; he was someone who truly cared.”
“Nellie believed in me from the beginning and gave me the confidence and freedom to play my game,” said Hardaway. “I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity he gave me and the special years we shared with Run TMC.”
“He made the game fun, and the memories we created together are ones I’ll always cherish,” Richmond said. “Nellie was a special person who meant a lot to so many people in basketball.”
That undersized and underdog approach came through again in Nelson’s second stint with the Warriors: He rejoined in 2006 and immediately made a splash, squeaking into the playoffs as the West’s No. 8 seed and upsetting the Dallas Mavericks, the team he coached for eight seasons between his Bay Area stays. Baron Davis, Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis and Jason Richardson all averaged 16 or more points for that team, which was second in the NBA in scoring.
“That time in my life and career was truly special, and Nellie was a huge part of making it possible,” Davis said. “I’ll always be grateful for the memories, the laughs and everything we accomplished together.”
Jackson added: “Nellie believed in me more than any coach I ever played for. He embraced me from Day 1. He understood me, trusted me and gave me the freedom to be myself on the court.”
The Warriors held Dirk Nowitzki, Nelson’s star in Dallas and that season’s MVP, to just 19.7 points per game over the six-game series, the first time he’d averaged fewer than 23 points in a postseason.
In the 11 seasons between Nelson’s stints, the Warriors never made the playoffs.
Even though his second run with the Warriors only included one postseason berth – the “We Believe” team – those four years concluded with superstar Steph Curry’s first in the NBA. Curry, now a four-time champ and two-time MVP, said Nelson was not usually a fan of rookies but gave him a shot to be himself.
Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson talks with guard Stephen Jackson (1) during a break in play during their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday November 11, 2008 in Oakland, Calif.. ( Aric Crabb /Staff)
Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson talks with guard Stephen Jackson (1) during a break in play during their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday November 11, 2008 in Oakland, Calif.. ( Aric Crabb /Staff)
“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. We were so happy for him,” Curry recalled. “He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”
As a player, Nelson won all the titles he missed as a coach and executive: He was an 11-time champion as a sixth man for the Boston Celtics. At 6-foot-6, Nelson was larger than life, and his commanding coaching presence matched.
Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012 and just last year, he received the Hall’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.
“You didn’t just draft me. You believed in me. You saw things in my game before I ever realized I could do them,” Nowitzki said on social media Sunday. “I’ve said it a million times and I will always say it: I don’t think my career could have turned out how it did without you being my first coach and giving me the freedom to play my game. I can only say THANK YOU.”
“I have so much respect for him and everything he did for the game, especially the way he believed in international players,” Lakers star Luka Doncic, who crossed paths with Nelson in Dallas, said on social media. “I’m grateful for the time I spent with him.”
Nelson’s son, Donnie, was an assistant coach on his Warriors staff from 1986-1994 and went on to the benches of the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks, where he also worked under his father. Donnie took over Don’s position as general manager in Dallas in 2025 and oversaw the team that won the 2011 NBA Finals.
When asked at the 2019 NBA Finals what he’d been doing since retiring to Maui, Nelson matter-of-factly stated, “Yeah, I’ve been smoking some pot,” eliciting a raucous laugh from Jackson and the rest of the room. He was quick to note that he never smoked as a player or coach.
Nelson will be remembered in a celebration of life Thursday at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, as friends and family expect to spread his ashes in Maui at a later date.