Aug 9 (Reuters) – Hall of Famer Don Nelson, who won five NBA titles as a player and was a three-time Coach of the Year, has died at 86, his family said on Sunday. Nelson ranks second in NBA history with 1,335 regular-season coaching wins, behind Gregg Popovich, after a 31-year coaching career with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. As a player, Nelson won five championships with the Boston Celtics during an 11-year stint with the team and his number 19 jersey was retired by the franchise in 1978. In June 2025, Nelson received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association in recognition of his contributions to the game. “‘Nellie’ was one of the most innovative and influential coaches in NBA history and an iconic figure in Warriors history,” Golden State said in a statement.