Former Dallas Mavericks head coach and Hall of Famer Don Nelson dies at 86

DALLAS - Don Nelson, the innovative, cigar-chomping basketball mind who revitalized the Dallas Mavericks franchise and transformed the modern NBA with his fast-paced "Nellie Ball" offense, died Sunday. He was 86.

Hall of Fame NBA coach Don Nelson dies

Nelson's death was announced by the Golden State Warriors, one of three franchises he coached during his Hall of Fame career.

What they're saying:

Dallas Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont on the passing of Mavericks legend Don Nelson:

"Don Nelson was a true original whose impact on the Dallas Mavericks and the game of basketball will endure for generations. Nellie helped transform this franchise, bringing an innovative spirit, a belief in doing things differently and, most importantly, a winning culture to Dallas. His influence can be seen throughout Mavericks history and across the NBA today.

"On behalf of the entire Mavericks organization, our thoughts are with Don’s family, friends, former players and coaches, and the many people whose lives he touched. We are grateful for all he gave to the Mavericks and to the game he loved."

Big picture view:

While Nelson won five NBA titles as a player with the Boston Celtics, his eight-season tenure in Dallas beginning in 1997 laid the groundwork for the most successful era in Mavericks history. Serving as both head coach and general manager, Nelson resurrected a struggling franchise by embracing an unconventional, high-octane offensive style that shifted the league away from traditional, center-dominant play toward pace, space, and perimeter shooting.

In Dallas, Nelson forged a powerful partnership with his son, Donnie Nelson, who joined the staff as an assistant coach in 1998. Together, the father-son duo made a franchise-altering move by convincing a 20-year-old German prospect named Dirk Nowitzki to forgo European basketball and join the Mavericks.

Under Nelson’s mentorship, Nowitzki developed into a generational superstar. Nelson also acquired and nurtured point guard Steve Nash, turning him into one of the league's elite floor generals before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVP awards with the Phoenix Suns.

Led by the high-scoring trio of Nowitzki, Nash, and Michael Finley, Nelson’s Mavericks became one of the league's premier offensive juggernauts, taking Dallas to the Western Conference Finals in 2003. Nelson guided Dallas during a turbulent personal period as well, missing 21 games during the 2000-01 season to recover from prostate cancer surgery.

His stint in Dallas was part of a historic coaching career that spanned 31 seasons and 18 playoff appearances. Nelson is one of only two head coaches in NBA history to record at least 250 wins with three different franchises—Milwaukee, Dallas, and Golden State—serving as general manager for all three organizations.

A three-time NBA Coach of the Year, Nelson first introduced the "point forward" concept during his 11-season run in Milwaukee and popularized the electric "Run TMC" era with the Warriors in the early 1990s. After a brief, ill-fated stint with the New York Knicks in 1995-96, he arrived in Dallas to rebuild the team from the ground up.

Poignantly, Nelson's head coaching journey came full circle at the expense of his former team. After leaving Dallas, Nelson returned to Golden State, where his eighth-seeded "We Believe" Warriors stunned Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs—one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. In his final season as an NBA head coach in 2009-10, Nelson mentored a rookie guard named Stephen Curry.

Nelson retired as the NBA's all-time leader in coaching victories with 1,335 wins, holding the record for nearly 12 years before his close friend Gregg Popovich surpassed him in March 2022.

Dallas MavericksSports