NBA Hall of Famer Don Nelson, a five-time NBA champion as a player and one of the league's most successful coaches, has died at the age of 86.

Nelson's family announced his death on Sunday, saying he died peacefully surrounded by his family.

Nelson spent 14 seasons as an NBA player and won five championships with the Boston Celtics. The franchise later retired his No. 19 jersey in recognition of his contribution to the team.

He later built an illustrious coaching career spanning 31 years with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. He recorded 1,335 regular-season victories, the second-highest total in NBA history, and was named Coach of the Year three times.

Known for his unconventional and innovative approach to basketball, Nelson pioneered tactics that influenced the modern game. His teams were often associated with the fast-paced style known as “Nellie Ball”.

Although he never won an NBA championship as a coach, Nelson led the Bucks to seven consecutive division titles and famously guided the Golden State Warriors to a first-round upset of the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in 2007.

Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to coaching and basketball.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the Golden State Warriors were among those who paid tribute to Nelson, describing him as an influential basketball innovator whose impact would continue across generations.