Don Nelson: NBA stars pay tribute after death of second-winningest coach in league history

Tributes flowed from NBA players and coaches after the death of Hall of Famer Don Nelson was announced on Sunday. Nelson, 86, was the second-winningest coach in league history and a five-time NBA champion as a player with the Boston Celtics.

“Nellie” coached four teams over 31 seasons, according to Basketball-Reference.com -- the Milwaukee Bucks (1976-87), Golden State Warriors (1988-95 and 2006-10), New York Knicks (1995-96) and the Dallas Mavericks (1997-2005).

Nelson held the record for most regular-season victories by an NBA coach (1,335) until San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich passed him in 2022. He was also named NBA Coach of the Year three times.

He made 18 playoff appearances as a coach, finishing with a 75-91 postseason record.

As the general manager of the Mavericks, Nelson engineered the 1998 draft-day trade that brought Dirk Nowitzki to Dallas, USA Today reported. Nowitzki would play 21 seasons with the Mavericks and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

“Nellie … You didn’t just draft me. You believed in me,” Nowitzki wrote on X. “You saw things in my game before I ever realized I could do them. 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.”

In a statement, Golden State guard Stephen Curry said that Nelson was “one of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors.”

“The story is he never liked rookies,” Curry said, ”but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court. ... “He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game. He’s a true icon and will be missed by the countless number of people he touched, including myself, during a legendary career.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr called Nelson “a true innovator.”

“He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others did not,” Kerr said in a statement. “So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game. His impact on the Warriors is just as significant.”

On social media, the Warriors praised Nelson as a visionary.

“More than anything, Don Nelson will be remembered for his authenticity, larger-than-life personality, and incredible passion for basketball, and his influence on the Warriors franchise will endure for years to come,” the team wrote.

Luka Dončić called Nelson’s passing “a sad day for basketball.”“I have so much respect for him and everything he did for the game, especially the way he believed in international players,” he tweeted. “I’m grateful for the time I spent with him.”

The Mavericks called Nelson “a legend” whose impact “will never be forgotten.”

“We mourn the passing of former Mavericks head coach Don Nelson and celebrate a life that left an incredible mark on our franchise and the game of basketball,” the team wrote.

Jason Kidd said that Nelson was a great player, “a coaching genius” and a great person.

“He will truly be missed by all those who had the pleasure of knowing him and being impacted by his one-of-a-kind wisdom,” Kidd tweeted.

Tim Hardaway played under Nelson twice in his career, when he was a member of the Warriors (1989-96) and with the Mavericks (2001-02).

“Nellie believed in me from the beginning and gave me the confidence and freedom to play my game,” Hardaway said in a statement. “I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity he gave me and the special years we shared with Run TMC.”

Nelson became the NBA’s winningest coach when he recorded his 1,333rd career regular-season victory on April 7, 2010. That night, Nelson passed Lenny Wilkens as Golden State defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

As a player, Nelson spent 11 of his 14 seasons in the NBA with the Celtics (1965-76).

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