While Don Nelson was a third-round round selection in 1962, he went on to become a five-time NBA champion and one of the best coaches in league history. Donald Arvid Nelson played with three franchises: the Chicago Zephyrs, Los Angeles Lakers, and — last but not least — the Boston Celtics. He was born and raised in Illinois.
Where did Don Nelson go to college?
The future Celtics legend and No. 19 was not recruited by many coaches, but University of Iowa coach Sharm Scheuerman wanted to make Nelson a Hawkeye.
Nelson went to Iowa and scored the most points per game (21.1) all-time for the school. Nelson, who has the nickname “Nellie,” also ranks in the top three in rebounds per game, top five in free throws, and top 10 in field goal percentage in school history. Nellie impressively had a double-double average for each of his three years at the University of Iowa. In addition, his final two seasons were very impressive, as he went for at least 23.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Nelson also received a 1962 Third-Team All-American selection, and that was the perfect transition into his NBA career.
On the day that the Boston Celtics selected John Havlicek, the Chicago Zephyrs — the current Washington Wizards franchise — selected Don Nelson with the first pick of the third round on March 26, 1962. He would go on to score the eighth-most points per game (10.3) among his draft class with, of course, Nelson’s future teammate Havlicek leading the draft class pack at 20.8 points per game.
Don Nelson – Early NBA Career
Don Nelson won five championship rings as a Celtic, with the first coming in 1966. Before the Celtics, he first played with the Chicago Zephyrs for a season. Then with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1963-64 and 1964-65. ‘If you cannot beat them, join them’ may have been Nellie’s motto, as the Lakers lost in the 1965 NBA Finals, and then, Nelson signed with the Boston Celtics in October 1965.
Don Nelson – Boston Celtics Career
With the Boston Celtics, Don Nelson had tremendous success. He fit right in, as he and Havlicek were the youngest players to be a part of the playoff rotation for the 1966 champion Celtics. Nelson, who averaged 10.2 points per game during the regular season, scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds Celtics’ Game 7 NBA Finals victory against the Lakers. Bill Russell had a whopping 25 points and game-high 32 rebounds in the win. Then, after an off-year for the 1966-67 Celtics, 1968 and 1969 were similar to 1966. Boston won the championship and Nelson was a key contributor.
After 1969, there were down years because Bill Russell retired. Boston had trouble making the postseason in 1970 and 1971 but did make the Eastern Conference Finals in 1972 and 1973. Then, Havlicek, Nelson, Dave Cowens, Jo Jo White, Paul Silas, Don Chaney, and the 1973-74 Celtics played great basketball, with Tom “Tommy” Heinsohn calling the plays and Havlicek once again the leading scorer.
In 1973-74, Nelson played all 82 games for the second time in his career, and he posted 11.5 points per game for the 1974 NBA champion Celtics. In the Finals, the Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games. Of course, Havlicek was the Finals MVP. Nelson had achieved ring number four.
Nellie had a very strong 1974-75 season, as he led the NBA in field goal percentage, but the Celtics lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. Fear not, the Celtics were back in the Finals for Nelson’s swansong year: 1976. Jo Jo White was the Finals MVP this time around, as Nelson had a bench role again. As a five-time NBA champion, Nelson retired after the 1975-76 season. Then, the Celtics retired his No. 19 on December 15, 1976. What a coincidence that the Celtics defeated the Bucks that night because that Milwaukee team would soon have Nellie on the squad.
Don Nelson – Career as an NBA Coach
After ending his NBA career, Don Nelson would develop “Nellie Ball,” which originated the point forward. He decided to accept the Milwaukee Bucks’ offer for him to become an assistant coach for the team, and so his coaching career began.
Then, the 1976-77 Bucks struggled mightily. After a 3–15 start to the season, head coach Larry Costello resigned, and all of a sudden, 36-year-old Nellie became the head coach after just 18 games as an assistant. He finished with a 27-37 record in his first season and then, here is how he fared the rest of the way in Milwaukee as the general manager — a position he took on at the beginning of 1977-78 — and head coach:
- 1977-78: 44-38
- 1978-79: 38-44
- 1979-80: 49-33
- 1980-81: 60-22
- 1981-82: 55-27
- 1982-83: 51-31 (Coach of the Year)
- 1983-84: 50-32
- 1984-85: 59-23 (Coach of the Year)
- 1985-86: 57-25
- 1986-87: 50-32
Nelson turned the Bucks into a perennial 50-win team within just five years of coaching the team, and they made the postseason every year from 1980 to 1987. However, it was the 1980s and his former Celtics reigned supreme in the Eastern Conference. Nelson’s Bucks failed to make the Finals and resigned from his position in May 1987.
Nelson did some broadcasting before taking on the role as the head coach and vice president with the Golden State Warriors. In 1991-92, the Warriors had an 11-win improvement from 44 to 55, and the .671 winning percentage would be Nellie’s best as the Golden State head coach. With Chris Mullin and Tim Hardaway leading the way, the Warriors won a playoff series in 1991. However, that was just the second of two playoff series victories during his first tenure as the Warriors’ head coach. The franchise then struggled mightily until he returned to Golden State in 2006. Nelson resigned as head coach of the Warriors in February 1995.
On the bright side, he had three NBA Coach of the Year trophies. Nelson became the first coach to win three. He is now joined by Hall of Fame head coach Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich — future Hall of Fame head coach — with that many trophies.
Don Nelson – The Second Dream Team
In 1994, Nelson was the head coach for the Team USA national basketball team at the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto, Canada. It being just two years after the 1992 Dream Team won the gold medal, the 1994 team was dubbed “Dream Team II.” The 1994 team and 1996 team both plowed through the competition and won it all. The 1996 Olympic team would end up being coached by Lenny Wilkens, whom Nelson would pass for the top spot in coaching wins
Don Nelson – Nelson’s Record-Breaking Win
After a brief stint with the New York Knicks (1995-96), he began his longest stint with a team: 1997-98 to 2004-05 with the Dallas Mavericks. Once again, Nelson turned a franchise into a consistent playoff team. The farthest the Nelson-led Mavericks went was the Western Conference Finals in 2003 when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
Then, the Mavericks did not re-sign Steve Nash, and Nelson was out soon after. In 2006-07, Nelson was back with the Golden State Warriors, and on April 7, 2010, Nelson’s Warriors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, which broke Wilkens’ record. It was Nelson’s 1,333rd career victory. Nelson finished with 1,335 wins and 1,063 losses, a .557 winning percentage.
Gregg Popovich is on his way to passing Nelson’s record, but Nellie still had a tremendous career as a head coach. His coaching career was so impressive the two-time NBA All-Star Game head coach was named as one of the top 10 coaches in NBA history in 1996 and as one of the greatest 15 coaches in league history in 2021.
Don Nelson – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Induction
He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, just two years after he finished coaching. Nelson had a tremendous career as a player and a coach, and he will be immortalized in the rafters of TD Garden along with all the other Celtics legends. Nellie was in basketball for so long that many generations have seen him with several different franchises. His five championship rings are a pretty nice touch, too.
Don Nelson – Net Worth
Don Nelson is an NBA Hall of Famer and former coach and executive who has amassed a net worth of $30 million dollars. He was the head coach for the Golden State Warriors for 11 seasons, as well as for the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Dallas Mavericks. Nelson also served as a General Manager for the Warriors and Mavericks during his career.
What does Don Nelson do now?
Don Nelson is best known for his successful coaching career in the NBA, but these days he can be found working on a different kind of court: a marijuana farm in Maui. Nelson first got involved in the cannabis industry after retirement, when he became a consultant for a company that was developing a line of CBD products. Realizing the potential of the hemp industry, Nelson decided to get into farming and partnered with a local grower to start a farm of his own.
Why did Don Nelson leave the Mavericks?
Don Nelson’s departure from the Mavericks was one of the ugliest episodes in team history. Nelson and Mark Cuban had feuded for years, and their relationship reached a breaking point during the 2004-05 season. Nelson was unhappy with the direction of the team, and he felt that Cuban was meddling too much in basketball decisions. The situation came to a head when Nelson left the team during the season, amidst a Spec lawsuit alleging that he had been paid to leave. The entire episode was ugly, and it resulted in years of bad blood between Nelson and Cuban. Ultimately, it was simply a case of two strong-willed men who couldn’t see eye-to-eye.
Is Donnie Nelson related to Don Nelson?
Donnie Nelson is the son of legendary NBA coach Don Nelson, who ranks second all-time in wins with 1,335. In 2007, Sports Illustrated ranked Donnie as the second-best personnel boss in the NBA. Donnie has been with the Dallas Mavericks for over two decades and was instrumental in building the team that won the 2011 NBA championship. He is a respected figure in the NBA and his father’s legacy has helped him to achieve success in his own career. Thanks to their commitment to winning, the Nelsons are one of the most successful father-son duos in NBA history.
