- Born
- Birth nameDonald Arvid Nelson
- Nickname
- Nellie
- Height6′ 5″ (1.96 m)
- Don Nelson is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) player and head coach.
Nelson has the most wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors. After an All-American career at the University of Iowa, Nelson won five NBA Championships playing with the Boston Celtics.
His unique brand of basketball is often referred to as Nellie Ball. A coaching innovator, Nelson is credited with, among other things, pioneering the concept of the point forward, a tactic which is frequently employed by teams at every level today. He was named one of the Top 10 coaches in NBA history.
On April 7, 2010, he passed Lenny Wilkens for first place on the all-time NBA wins list with his 1,333rd win. His all-time record coaching record was 1,335-1,063 (.557). Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Bazza the Beast
- SpouseJoy Wolfgram(June 29, 1991 - present)
- Former NBA small forward who played 11 NBA seasons with the Chicago Zephyrs (1963-1965), Los Angeles Lakers (1965-1967), and Boston Celtics (1967-1976). Jersey number #19 retired by the Celtics.
- NBA Coach of the Year in 1983, 1985, and 1992.
- Played college basketball at the University of Iowa. Drafted as the first pick in the third round of the 1963 NBA Draft by the Chicago Zephyrs.
- Head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks (1978-1987), Golden State Warriors (1988-1994), and New York Knicks (1996). Hired as general manager of the Dallas Mavericks for the 1996-1997 season and took over as coach in 1997. Resigned as Mavericks' coach midway through the 2004-2005 season and became a team consultant.
- Member of four NBA championship teams as a player with the Celtics (1967-1968, 68-69, 73-74, and 75-76). Scored what turned out to be the winning basket in Game 7 of the 1968-1969 NBA Finals against the Lakers in a 108-106 victory which was the final NBA game for Bill Russell.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content