The Boston Celtics lost a beloved member of their basketball family this weekend as Don Nelson passed away at the age of 86 years old.
The Celtics issued an effusive statement on Nelson’s behalf on Sunday afternoon. In addition to being a player with the Celtics, Nelson is the second-winningest coach in NBA history.
A third-round pick in the 1962 NBA Draft out of Iowa, Nelson spent 14 years in the NBA with the Chicago Zephyrs, Los Angeles Lakers and Celtics. He spent 11 total years in Boston, serving as an incredibly durable player for the franchise. “Nellie” played at least 72 games in all 11 seasons, hitting the 82-game mark in six different campaigns. He averaged 11.4 ppg with the Celtics, hitting a highwater mark of 15.4 ppg in 1969-70.
He won the NBA championship five times for Boston (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976) standing out in each playoff run. He averaged more than 10 points a game in the 1968 playoffs.
He had his number 19 retired by the organization in 1978, and the Celtics recalled his greatest moment:
His most celebrated moment as a player came in Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals against his former team the Los Angeles Lakers, when Nelson converted one of the most famous shots in playoff history—a foul-line jumper which dropped through the basket after hitting the back rim and bouncing several feet straight up. The shot, taken with just over a minute to go in the game and the Celtics clinging to a 103–102 lead, was an essential play in helping secure Boston’s 11th NBA title in 13 seasons.
Boston Celtics forward Don Nelson (19) in action against the Atlanta Hawks at The Omni. Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
He played with the likes of Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Dave Cowens, some of the greatest players in team history.
Nelson served as a head coach for 31 years in the NBA with four franchises: The Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks.
He spent 11 years each with Milwaukee and Golden State, putting together a .611 winning percentage in Milwaukee and a .488 with the Warriors. He had a .575 winning percentage in eight seasons with the Mavericks.
He made the playoffs 18 times in his career, though he never won an NBA championship. He was a three-time NBA Coach of the Year
No plans have been formally announced yet, but it’s certainly likely that the Celtics will honor him this upcoming season. They will surely mention his passing during the first home game of the season, but they could also wear a uniform patch, as they have done for other departed legends, including Russell. That was a league-wide patch in 2022-23.
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