Sports Poets Society

Don Nelson finished with a 1,335-1,063 career record as a head coach after  winning five titles with the Boston Celtics as a player. Kelley L Cox / USA Today https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6273242/2026/08/09/don-nelson-obituary-coach-hall-of-fame-celtics-nba/ THE ATHLETIC By James Jackson , Sam Amick and Christian Clark Aug. 9, 2026 Updated Aug. 10, 2026 Don Nelson, a five-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics as a player and one of the winningest coaches in league history, died Sunday at 86, his family announced in a statement. “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,” the statement read. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.” A cause of death was not shared, but The Dallas Morning News reported that Nelson had a stroke roughly three weeks ago. The p...

9 Aug 2026 - THE OBSERVER / Sport Legendary Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Phil Parkes has died aged 79. Parkes played for Wolves between 1960 and 1978 after joining as a schoolboy, making 382 appearances and helping the team reach the 1972 Uefa Cup final, where they lost to Tottenham. He then spent eight years playing in North America for Vancouver Whitecaps, Chicago Sting, San Jose Earthquakes, Oklahoma City Slickers and Toronto Blizzard before retiring in 1983. He was inducted into the Wolves hall of fame in 2023. “The thoughts and prayers are with Lofty’s loved ones at this sad time,” the club said in a statement.