On Sunday, the NBA community lost someone who had a big impact on the sport. It was announced that morning that Don Nelson, a former player, coach and executive who was one of the game's big innovators, had died at the age of 86.
One of the teams Nelson coached was the Dallas Mavericks, a team he was at the helm of from 1997 to 2005. With the Mavericks, as well as the Golden State Warriors in the early 1990s, he implemented a fast-paced style of basketball that favored small lineups and perimeter shooting. It was a preview of how basketball is played today.
Nelson's son Donnie was the Mavs' general manager in 2018 when they made the draft-day trade that brought them the rights to Luka Doncic. On Sunday, Doncic took to X (formerly Twitter) to react
to the passing of the elder Nelson.
It’s a sad day for basketball with the passing of Don Nelson.
— Luka Dončić (@lukadoncic) August 9, 2026
I have so much respect for him and everything he did for the game, especially the way he believed in international players. I’m grateful for the time I spent with him.
Thinking of the entire Nelson family today. I… pic.twitter.com/GqIobWNB9i
The elder Nelson disliked the Mavericks' trade of Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025. He sent a message in that regard when, during a press conference where he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, he wore a pair of Doncic's Nike sneakers and called the trade a "tremendous mistake."
He actually once played with the Lakers during the 1963-64 and 1964-65 seasons. He then moved on to the Boston Celtics, where he won five NBA championships, with the first three of them coming at the Lakers' expense.
In Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals versus L.A., the elder Nelson hit a late shot that bounced high off the back rim and fell through the hoop to help give Boston its 11th world title in 13 years. That shot is part of Lakers lore, albeit on the dark side of it.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Luka Doncic makes heartfelt social media post after Don Nelson's death
