NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement following the death of Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson on Sunday.

Nelson died at age 86. Silver sent his condolences to Nelson's family and friends across the NBA and praised Nelson for his contributions to the league for nearly half a century.

"Don Nelson revolutionized NBA basketball through his fearlessness, ingenuity and deep conviction. He spent nearly 50 years in the NBA - winning five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics before building one of the most successful and pioneering coaching careers in league history. He brought an unmistakable personality to everything he did, and his impact on
our sport will continue to be felt for generations.

"I send my deepest condolences to Don's family and many friends throughout our league," Silver wrote in the statement.

Nelson's Career in the NBA

Nelson thrived in the NBA as both a player and coach. As a player, he won five NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1960s. Then as a coach, he won 1,335 games, which ranks second all-time in regular-season coaching victories.

He scored the game-winning basket in the 1969 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics retired his No. 19 jersey in 1978. Throughout his entire playing career, he played for the Celtics, Lakers and Chicago Zephyrs.

Nelson coached in the NBA for 31 years, coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. He is a three-time NBA Coach of the Year (1983, 1985, 1992) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Most recently, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2025 NBA Finals.