Iowa basketball great, Hall of Famer Don Nelson passes away at 86

Iowa basketball great and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Don Nelson has passed away at the age of 86.

“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” Nelson’s family said in a statement, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”

While at Iowa, Nelson was chosen as the Hawkeyes’ most valuable player in 1960, 1961 and 1962. Nelson averaged a double-double in points (23.8) and rebounds (11.3) over his final two seasons and left with a career scoring average of 21.2 points per game in 72 career games. Nelson was a two-time All-American with the Hawkeyes.

Hall of Famer Don Nelson, three-time NBA Coach of the Year and five times a champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, has died at age 86.

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The family has issued this statement:

“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson… pic.twitter.com/MkDMNugYcu

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 9, 2026

After being selected 17th overall in the 1962 NBA Draft by the Chicago Zephyrs, Nelson caught on with the Boston Celtics. Nelson signed with the Celtics ahead of the 1964-65 season and would go on to win five NBA championships with Boston (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976).

Nelson averaged 11.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while winning those five titles during his 11 seasons in Boston.

Then, Nelson rose to prominence as one of the greatest and most revolutionary NBA coaches of all time. Nelson introduced “Nellie Ball,” which featured smaller, more athletic players to fuel a fast-paced offense that prioritized creating mismatches through speed.

Nelson finished with a regular-season record of 1,335-1,063. Nelson retired with the most wins by a coach in NBA history before Gregg Popovich surpassed him in 2022.

Nelson’s teams made 18 playoff appearances. Nelson owned a 75-91 postseason record.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball great, Hall of Famer Don Nelson passes away at 86