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 ...

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...