Sports Poets Society

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/don-nelson-golden-state-warriors Don Nelson Retired NBA The Players Tribune - Jul 20, 2016 Fifty years ago, a wise man said something to me that I never forgot. “We are going to play fast.” That quote may come off as little more than a general statement. But coming from coach Red Auerbach of the world champion Boston Celtics, it meant a great deal to me because it meant that I was going to be part of a new and exciting brand of basketball. It was 1965 and I had just signed as a free agent with the Celtics after struggling through my first couple of years in the league. I was drafted in 1962 by the Chicago Packers , who later changed their name to the Chicago Zephyrs — and who also waived me after my rookie season. The Lakers claimed me shortly after and I played in L.A for two years, averaging a little more than six minutes a game in my final season. I was excited to sign as a free agent with the Celtics because I had always admired the way ...

After being a star player on the Celtics, Don Nelson led several teams over a 31-year career . He was 86.    by GLENN RIFKIN The New York Times  - Martedì 11 agosto 2026  Don Nelson , who won five N.B.A. championship rings as a player with the Boston Celtics and went on to become an innovative and freethinking Hall of Fame head coach and one of the winningest in league history, died on Sunday at an assisted living facility in Frisco, Texas . He was 86. His health deteriorated after a stroke about three weeks ago, his granddaughter Christie Nelson Armstrong said. Nelson, whose N.B.A. playing and coaching careers spanned nearly 50 years , was an unlikely success story, both on the hardwood and on the sideline. Nellie , as he was called, was an undersized small forward and not particularly fast or athletic ; he was twice waived by N.B.A. teams before joining the Celtics in 1965 . But he became an integral part of a Boston dynasty. In his arsenal were a deadly jump sho...

KYLE TERADA/USA TODAY SPORTS - Don Nelson won 1,335 games  as an NBA head coach with the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Mavericks. Nelson replaced a legend to become Bucks’ second head coach 11 Aug 2026 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel JR Radcliffe Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - USA TODAY NETWORK – WISCONSIN In 1971 the Milwaukee Bucks became NBA champions under the guidance of Larry Costello , who was the only head coach the organization had known since its 1968 inception. By 1976, however, the Bucks’ fortunes had turned, and Costello resigned under pressure after the Bucks lost 15 of their first 18 games in the 1976-77 season. In Costello’s place, the Bucks turned to new assistant Don Nelson. A Muskegon, Michigan, native, Nelson played basketball in an Illinois high school and then college ball at Iowa before getting drafted in 1962 by the Chicago Zephyrs (today the Washington Wizards). That kicked off a 14-year playing career that included a short stint with the Lakers and 11 seasons wit...

Mr. Nelson planted a kiss on Red Auerbach’s  head during a Celtics legends game in 1995. To Garden fans, Hall of Famer will always be ‘Nellie’ 10 ago 2026 - The Boston Globe By John Powers GLOBE CORRESPONDENT Don Nelson, who won five championships as a versatile player for the Celtics before becoming an innovative Hall of Fame coach for four NBA clubs, died Sunday at 86, his family said. His health deteriorated after a stroke about three weeks ago, The New York Times reported, citing his granddaughter Christie Nelson Armstrong . Mr. Nelson, who spent 11 seasons with Boston after Los Angeles discarded him and another 31 directing from the sidelines , was involved with basketball for nearly a half-century. “Can you imagine doing something that you love the most in the entire world and doing it for your entire life and besides that getting a pile of money for it?” he said. “It’s unbelievable.” Mr. Nelson, whose No. 19 was retired by the Celtics , worked around his limitations to make...

Former Dallas Mavericks head coach Don Nelson protested a third-quarter call in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals between the Mavericks and Sacramento Kings at American  Airlines Center on April 24, 2004. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball  Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2012. NBA commissioner: Nelson ‘revolutionized’ basketball Second-winningest coach in league and in Mavericks history leaves lasting legacy 10 ago 2026 - The Dallas Morning News By Brad Townsend Staff Writer btownsend@dallasnews.com Don Nelson, the NBA’S second-winningest coach and one of the most transformative figures in Dallas Mavericks history, died Sunday in Frisco, his family confirmed. Nelson, 86, moved from his longtime home in Maui to Frisco early this year, but suffered a stroke about three weeks ago. In recent days he had been in hospice care and was surrounded by family and longtime NBA friends. Among his bedside visitors Saturday, which included a prayer vigil, were fo...

OTTO GREULE JR/GETTY IMAGES  League’s second-winningest coach won five championships while playing for the Celtics 10 Aug 2026 - The Washington Post BY JOHN RABY — Associated Press Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday. He was 86. Nelson’s family confirmed the death in a statement that did not say where he died or provide a cause. “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 said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.” Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time coach of the year and ma...

Getty Images; Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post  Coaching great Nelson remembered as ‘one of greatest minds’ in the game 10 Aug 2026 - California Post By ANDREW CRANE acrane@nypost.com Don Nelson, the Hall of Famer who won five championships as a player before a decades-long coaching career that included a brief stint with the Knicks, died Sunday, his family said in a statement. He was 86 years old. A cause of death wasn’t revealed. “On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and greatgrandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” Nelson’s family said in a statement, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein . “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.” Before his second career as a coach, where he notably helped jump-start the careers of Dirk Nowitzki and Stephen Curry , the 6-foot-6 Nelson starred for the Celtics. He won five titles...

SUN-TIMES LIBRARY - Don Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State. 10 Aug 2026 - Chicago Sun-Times BY JOHN RABY AP Sports Writer Don Nelson , the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday. He was 86. Mr. Nelson’s family confirmed the death in a statement that did not say where he died or provide a cause. “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 said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.” Mr. Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franch...

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...