Now Reading: NBA Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson dies at 86
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NBA Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson dies at 86
Hall of Fame NBA coach Don Nelson passed away at 86, his family confirmed on Sunday. Nelson won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics from 1966 to 1976, and…
The Story in Brief
Hall of Fame NBA coach Don Nelson passed away at 86, his family confirmed on Sunday. Nelson won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics from 1966 to 1976, and later coached the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks over three decades. He held the record for most NBA coaching wins (1,335) until Gregg Popovich surpassed him in 2022.
Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry led tributes. Doncic, whom Nelson famously defended after the Mavericks traded him in 2025, called Nelson a believer in international players and thanked him for their time together. Curry, drafted by the Warriors during Nelson's second tenure in 2009, said Nelson had an 'immeasurable impact on the sport'.
The Indian Opinion
The tributes rightly honour a coaching giant, but some coverage risks reducing Nelson's legacy to his protest of the Doncic trade. Nelson transformed the game with small-ball line-ups and nurtured international talent long before it was fashionable. His win record, coaching innovations and five player championships define him far more than one trade reaction. The question now: will the NBA honour Nelson in a way that matches his decades of influence, not just his final years?
Source: timesnownews.com
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