Don Nelson

At 83 years old, Don Nelson has this physical status:

College career (1959–1962)

Nelson, a 6'6" sophomore under Iowa coach Schuerman, had a double-double of 15.8 points and 10.0 rebounds as Iowa finished 14-1960 as Iowa's top scorer finished 14-10.

Nelson was recruited on the Iowa campus by future Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins in 1960, during an age when NCAA freshman were not allowed to participate in varsity. Hawkins, who played for the freshman Iowa team in 1960-191, was embroiled in the 1961 college basketball controversy and left Iowa. Hawkins never pleaded guilty of a felony and was later reinstated by the NBA, who had barred him from participating in him.

"We would have had a fantastic team if Connie had stayed," Nelson said. "I think we should have edged out Ohio State for my junior and senior years."

Nelson averaged 23.8 points and 10.6 rebounds from 1960-1991 to finish second in the Big Ten Conference, with an 18–6 record. The team was plagued by a mass academic eligibility problem, with Nelson being the only remaining starter on the team. Iowa rallied around him and finished second in the Big 10, with Nelson leading the team.

Nelson had 23.8 points and 11.9 rebounds as a senior in 1961-1992, while the Hawkeyes finished 13–11.

The Big Ten conference in Nelson's time in Iowa was packed with future NBA players. Among other things, Ohio State had future Hall of Fame members in John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas, as well as Larry Siegfried. In Walt Bellamy, Indiana had a future Hall of Fame inductee, while Purdue had future NBA All-Star Terry Dischinger.

"It was a great preparation ground for the pros," Nelson said. "So many of them became actors."

"It's an overused word, but the more difficult the game got, the harder Don played," Scheuerman said of Nelson. "He's always had a lot of intelligence." Don't do some things that you just can't teach. While some players have the body, they are not physically fit. Some people are physically demanding, but others don't have the body. Both weren't available.

Nelson said of Iowa, "I felt more responsibility and my coworkers expected me to carry a greater load." "I still remember this period as one of my entire career." Sharm did a great job teaching and we played some fantastic basketball."

"What I remember most about it is playing for Sharm and our friendship over 50 years, how close we were and how much we loved him," Nelson expressed in 2012 of Scheuerman, who died in 2010. Well, a role model, certainly, but I could never imitate that man's life because he was so unique. I tried, but I'm sure it was worth it. I'm sure I'm a better person just by knowing him and talking to him. "Over the course of the last 50 years, we spent a lot of time together."

In his 72-game Iowa career, Nelson averaged 21.1 points (1,522) and 10.9 rebounds (784). He left Iowa as the program's all-time leading scorer.

NBA playing career (1962–1976)

Nelson was drafted as the 17th draft pick in the 1962 NBA draft by the Chicago Zephyrs of the NBA, following his time in Iowa.

Nelson played for 17 minutes as a rookie, alongside Walt Bellamy (27.9 points), Terry Dischinger (25.5 points), Si Green and Charlie Hardnett. As Chicago finished 25-55, Zephyrs Coach Jack McMahon was fired by player Slick Leonard halfway through the season. After the season, the Chicago Zephyrs were able to become the Baltimore Bullets (today's Washington Wizards). Nelson had averaging 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 17 minutes for one season. Nelson was then acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1963.

Nelson was signed on waivers by the Los Angeles Lakers from the Chicago Zephyrs on September 6, 1963. He would have played in 80 games between 1963-1944 and 1966, but only 39 in 1964-1965 under coach Fred Schaus.

Nelson played 80 games from 1963 to 1966, averaged 5.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 17 minutes for the Lakers, as Los Angeles finished 42-38. With Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan, and Lenny Wilkens 3–2, he saw his first playoff action as the Lakers were defeated by the St. Louis Hawks (today's Atlanta Hawks) in a game. In the series, Nelson had 3.4 points and 2.6 rebounds.

Nelson did not do well in 1964-1965, averaging 2.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in just six minutes per game in 39 games. Nelson was used more in the playoffs as they defeated Nelson's former team, the Baltimore Bullets, 4–2. Nelson had 5.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in the series. In the 1965 NBA Finals, the Lakers then met the Boston Celtics. Nelson's Lakers lost 4.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 20 minutes in the series, while the Celtics lost 4–1.

Nelson left Los Angeles after two seasons with the Lakers, where he averaged 4.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13 minutes while playing with Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.

Nelson was signed as a free agent by the Boston Celtics on October 28, 1965 after playing against them in the NBA Finals for the season.

Nelson averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in his first season with Boston and coach Red Auerbach, assisting the Celtics in defeating the Lakers in 1966. Nelson, Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, John Havlicek, John Havlicek, and KC Jones, as well as Larry Siegfried, Willie Naulls, and Mel Counts, made him his sixth man off the bench for Boston.

Boston won four more championships in 1968, 1969, 1974, and 1976.

Nelson was one of seven Celtics to average in double figures in 1967-1968, when the Celtics defeated the Celtics 54-28 under player/coach Bill Russell. Nelson was a double-digit scorer for Russell, Havlicek, Bailey Howell, Bailey Howell, Sam Jones, Sanders, and Siegfried. In the 1968 NBA Finals, the Celtics defeated the Lakers 4–2 to win the NBA Championship. Nelson averaged 14.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 27 minutes in the 1968 NBA Finals.

Nelson averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds from 1968 to 1989 as Boston finished 48-34 under Russell. They defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4–1 and the New York Knicks 4–2 to advance to the NBA finals, where they will meet the Lakers once more. Nelson converted one of the most iconic shots in playoff history against his former team in Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, a foul-line jumper that fell through the basket after hitting the back rim and bouncing several feet straight up. The shot, which was taken with just over a minute to go in the game and the Celtics clinging to a 103–102 lead, helped win Boston's 11th NBA title in 13 seasons and Nelson's third championship with the Celtics, as well as Nelson's third title in 13 seasons.

The Celtics finished 56-26 under new head coach Tommy Heinsohn, who supervised Nelson for 11.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 21.3 minutes at age 33. Jo Jo White, Dave Cowens, Paul Westphal, Paul Silas, and Don Chaney were all added to Nelson and Havlicek's roster.

Nelson scored over 20 points three times in the Celtics' 4–2 series victory over the Buffalo Braves (today's Los Angeles Clippers) in the first playoff round. Nelson scored 23 points in the Eastern Conference finals over the New York Knicks, averaging 15 points in the 4–1 series victory. In the playoffs, the Knicks had defeated the Celtics in the first two seasons.

The Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1974 NBA Finals, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Bobby Dandridge. Nelson started over Silas in game seven at Milwaukee and was a vital player in double-teaming Abdul-Jabbar. Boston had a 13-point halftime lead and lost 102–87, securing their fourth NBA Championship with Nelson. He scored six points in 17 minutes.

In 1976, Nelson played his last season (1976-1976) and won his 5th NBA Championship, beating the Phoenix Suns in their 5th NBA Championship. 142–2 is a basketball championship. Nelson averaged 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in the regular season and 9.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in the playoffs.

Nelson averaged more than ten points per game during the 1968-1979 to 1975 (before the introduction of the three-point shot). At age 34, he led the NBA in field-goal percentages from 1974 to 1975, becoming the youngest and shortest player to do so. Nelson was dubbed one of the best "sixth guys" to play in the NBA ever. He was also known for his one-handed approach to shooting free throws. With his right foot and his left leg trailing, he'll place the ball in his shooting hand, leaning in complete disarray, and toe the free-throw line. With his right knee and lifting the trailing foot in a sort of "hop," he will bring the ball straight toward the basket completely with his right hand.

Nelson retired as a player after the 1975–76 season. In 1978, his number 19 jersey was sold to the Boston Garden rafters. Nelson averaged 11.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 872 games with Boston over the past 11 seasons.

Nelson averaged 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 20.6 minutes, shooting 48.9% from the floor and 76.9% from the line in ten53 NBA games. Nelson finished with 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 21.4 minutes, shooting 40.8 percent from the ground and 89% from the line in his 150 games.

Coaching/executive career (1976–2010)

Nelson's uncle, Donnie, remembers the family's lunch in a Maid Rite restaurant in Moline, Illinois, and Don said he had three choices: sell cars, become an NBA referee, or hire an assistant under Milwaukee coach Larry Costello. They voted 5–0 for the Milwaukee job, which cost $25,000.

Nelson began his coaching career as an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1976. Larry Costello resigned and Nelson was named Head Coach after a 3–15 record to begin the season. A year later, he was named General Manager of the Bucks and soon began to display what would later become his signature style of wheeling and dealing players. Nelson made his first trade in 1977 when he traded Swen Nater to the Buffalo Braves and converted the draft pick he received into Marques Johnson, who had a solid career with the Bucks. Nelson's fourth-quarter comeback in NBA history was on November 25, 1977, the day after Thanksgiving. With Milwaukee down twenty-nine points to Atlanta, on the road, and with only 8:43 remaining, the Bucks won 117-115 in regulation. There was no three-point field goal at the time.

In 1980, he sent an underachieving Kent Benson to the Detroit Pistons for Bob Lanier. Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges, and Ricky Pierce were among his most publicized contracts before the 1984-85 season when he traded Johnson, Junior Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings, and money to the San Diego Clippers for Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges, and Ricky Pierce. And Jack Sikma would trade Alton Lister to the Seattle SuperSonics in 1986.

Nelson took over a Bucks squad after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's release from Los Angeles, and the team became a legitimate championship contender by 1980. Nelson was known for his unorthodox, innovative basketball philosophy in Milwaukee. He pioneered the concept of the point forward, a tactic in which tiny forwards are used to direct the offense. Nelson used 6–5 small forward Paul Pressey for the role in Nelson's time with the Bucks. Sidney Moncrief and Craig Hodges or Ricky Pierce were able to field shooting guards at the same time without worrying about who would lead the charge. He'd also put a center who wasn't a threat to offense, like Lister or Randy Breuer, at mid-court rather than near the basket to ensure a shot-blocking center like the Utah Jazz's Mark Eaton was less of a threat to defense in his offensive half-court sets.

This system, nicknamed "Nellie Ball," resulted in a lot of mismatches, allowing Nelson to lead the Bucks to seven straight Central Division championships with over 50 victories in each of those seasons. In 1983 and 1985, he received NBA Coach of the Year awards. The Bucks were eliminated in the playoffs by either the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics or the Julius Erving-led Philadelphia 76ers for seven years in a row, finishing no worse than second best in the Eastern Conference. Nelson said he didn't expect to return until the season ended due to a rift between Bucks owner Herb Kohl, who was a part of the 1986–87 season, which included some controversies and tumultuous events before Game 4 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, where Nelson told the local sports media that he didn't expect to return to the Bucks until the season concluded.

Nelson resigned as the Bucks' head coach on May 27, 1987. Nelson had a 540-344 (.611) record with Milwaukee in 11 seasons.

Nelson served as a color analyst for NBA games on TBS from 1987 to 1988. During the season, he was contacted by the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and the New York Knicks with offers to coach their teams. Nelson decided to leave Golden State, first buying a minority interest in the team before being named head coach and vice president after one season away from the NBA.

He instilled a "run-and-gun" style of attack in Golden State. With a nine-game roster that included three guards (Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway, and Sarunas Marciulionis) and two forwards (Chris Mullin and the 6'8" Rod Higgins at center), he coached the Warriors to a 23-game return to action in the playoffs and back to the playoffs, referring to Run TMC for Tim, Mitch and Chris. After their time in Richmond and Mullin, they were later elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Nelson was named NBA Coach of the Year for the third time since the 1991–92 season.

Nelson continued to retool the team by drafting All-Star Latrell Sprewell in 1992. During the 1993 NBA draft, Nelson traded Penny Hardaway, the Warriors' top pick, to the Orlando Magic for their number one overall pick Chris Webber. Despite Webber's winning the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and putting him at center rather than power forward, he's still at odds with Nelson's decision to put him at center rather than power forward. Webber was regularly clashing with one another and threatening to use the out-clause in his job if he wasn't traded. Nelson reportedly offered to resign rather than let the team trade away their young star, but the Washington Bullets did not let him trade away their young talent on November 7, 1994, for Tom Gugliotta and three other future 1st round draft picks (1996, 1998, and 2000).

Nelson resigned as the Warriors' head coach on February 13, 1995. In four of his six seasons with Golden State, he made the playoffs. Subsequently, the Warriors did not qualify for the playoffs for the next 12 seasons until he returned to the team in 2006.

Nelson coached the Team USA national basketball team at the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto, winning them the gold medal. "Dream Team II" was a team name that had been marketed on the team.

Nelson, as well as assistants Don Chaney, Pete Gillen, and Rick Majerus, were among Team USA's roster of Derrick Coleman, Joe Johnson, Tim Hardaway (injured), Kevin Johnson, Larry Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Dan Majerle, Alonzo Mourning, Darlene Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille, Isiah Thomas (injured), and Dominique Wilkins.

The United States went 8–0, beating Spain 115–100, China 132–77, and Brazil 105–82. The US team defeated Australia 130–74, Puerto Rico 134–83, Russia 111–94, and Greece 97–58. Team USA defeated Russia 137–91 in the gold medal game.

"I really don't know why they selected me to tell you the truth," Nelson said. However, I do know that I always wanted to coach a national team in the United States. I didn't really have any conversations with [the league or USA Basketball] before they chose me. Well, it was an honor, but it was not an honor. It was certainly the best experience that I had as a coach. To stand up and watch your flag be raised is a special thing."

Nelson was hired by the New York Knicks after their original pick, Chuck Daly, turned down their coaching job. Nelson began his association with the Knicks in 1995, spanning July 1995 to March 1996. Nelson coached the Knicks to a respectable 34-26 record, but his offensive style rightly contrasted the Knicks' defensive style of play. Nelson also suggested that Patrick Ewing of the Knicks be traded, putting them in a better situation to make an offer to Shaquille O'Neal, who had been rumored to be interested in a transfer to New York.

Nelson was fired as head coach by the Knicks on March 8, 1996. Jeff Van Gundy, Jeff Van Gundy's assistant, had him back to him. He had a 34–25 record. Van Gundy's New York finished 13-10 for a total record of 47-35.

Nelson was named head coach and general manager of the Dallas Mavericks in 1997. He was going to a team that had been dormant through the 1990s and a permanent fixture in the NBA lottery. Nelson ruled out draft day contracts with the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns in 1998, his first full off-season in charge, effectively selling Robert Traylor and Pat Garrity's draft rights to Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, who wanted to team with rising Mavericks rising star Michael Finley.

Nash, Finley, and Nowitzki were the catalysts behind the Mavericks' remarkable comeback as Nelson coached the Mavericks to four consecutive 50-win seasons. In 2002–03, the San Antonio Spurs won the Western Conference Finals, bringing their 1960-win season to a halt. The Mavericks lost in six games due to a player injury to Nowitzki in game 3 that kept him out for the remainder of the season.

When in Dallas, Nelson introduced the "Hack-a-Shaq" defense to the NBA, despite not having an interior presence to combat low-post players like Shaquille O'Neal. Steve Nash was given a max contract by the Phoenix Suns in 2004; despite Nelson's insistence on matching the bid, Nash's acceptance declined and Nash accepted Phoenix's bid. Nash's streak of MVPs with the Suns lasted two seasons.

Nelson resigned as Dallas' head coach on March 19, 2005, naming Avery Johnson as his replacement. Nelson stayed as Dallas' manager until after the season, when he named his son, assistant GM Donnie Nelson, as his replacement as GM. The Mavericks reached the NBA Finals the following season, but they would lose to the Miami Heat in six games.

Nelson has fondly remembered his time in Dallas, but he has expressed disappointment in staying with the team after they did not re-sign Nash. Nelson had a 339–251 (.575) record in eight seasons with Dallas.

Nelson returned to the Golden State Warriors for a second stint as head coach on August 29, 2006. Chris Mullin, one of Nelson's first stints as the Warriors' head coach, was the team's general manager. Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Matt Barnes, Jason Richardson, and Andris Biedri all loved Nelson's style of coaching. Mullin (at behest of Nelson) orchestrated a trade with the Pacers to obtain Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson midway through the season.

The new lineup thrived under Nelson; Davis, Biedri, and Jackson saw an increase in scoring and effectiveness, and Barnes went from a virtual unknown to a solid rotation contributor, and Ellis was named NBA Most Improved Player after averaging 16.5 points per game, up from his previous average of 6.8 points per game. The Warriors came out of the season on a 16–5 record and just managed to qualify for the 2007 playoffs.

In the first round of the playoffs, Nelson faced his former team, the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs had the NBA's best record, and they were a lock to win the NBA championship that year. Nelson guided the 8th-seeded Warriors to series victory over the top-seeded Mavericks in six games, one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history. The 67–15 Mavericks' regular-season victory over the 42-40 Warriors' was the most significant upset in the NBA playoffs' history, with a score 25 games better than the 42–40 Warriors'. In the second round, the Warriors advanced to lose to the Utah Jazz.

Chris Webber reunited with Nelson on January 29, 2008, returning to the team that had drafted him 15 years ago. His return to Nelson was limited to nine games due to injuries, but his return brought an end to perhaps the most disappointing part of the player's coach's otherwise stellar resume. The Warriors won 92–94, their most victories since 1993–94 (during Nelson's first stint with the team). The Warriors did not qualify for the playoffs by two games in a tightly fought Western Conference.

The Warriors fell back to mediocrity (29–53 and 26–56), losing the bulk of the players from their 2007 playoff run to either trades or free agency. Despite skepticism from critics, Nelson made the Warriors the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, and Nelson pushed the team to draft Stephen Curry. Curry will continue to win back-to-back MVP awards and helped lead Golden State to championships in 2015, 2017, and 2022. Curry was also named 2022 NBA Finals MVP.

Nelson resigns as head coach on September 23, 2010. The San Francisco Chronicle announced that new Warriors Joe Lacob and Peter Guber wanted "a young, up-and-coming coach" to help the Warriors resurrect their fortunes. Nelson was fired as a coach by longtime assistant Keith Smart. Nelson said on Bay Area radio station KNBR that he had been fired: "I talked to (Lacob) on the phone before I was fired," he said, and I was amazed. I was a little surprised by the way events unfolded, but I believe it is for the best for everyone."

Nelson's teams won 422–438 (.488) during their 11 seasons with Golden State. He ended his coaching career with 2398 games and a 1335–1063 (.557) record.

Nelson became the third NBA coach to win 1,000 games after Lenny Wilkens and Pat Riley on December 29, 2001. Nelson won his 1,300th game in his career on February 21, 2009, beating Wilkens as the only coach to reach this milestone. Nelson won his 1,333rd career game and passed Lenny Wilkens for first on the NBA's top coaches list. Gregg Popovich, who won his 1,336th game on March 11, 2022, would surpass him later. Nelson won 1,335 in the regular season.

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