Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors. An innovator, Nelson is credited with, among other things, inventing the concept of the point forward, a tactic which is frequently employed by teams at every level today. His unique brand of basketball is often referred to as Nellie Ball. He was named one of the Top 10 coaches in NBA history. On April 7, 2010, he passed Lenny Wilkens for first place on the all-time NBA wins list with 1,333 wins. His all-time record is... 1,335-1,063 . After a very successful high school career at Rock Island High School, Nelson graduated from the University of Iowa in 1962 as a two-time All-American averaging 21.1 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. He was drafted 19th overall by the Chicago Zephyrs of the NBA. He played for the Zephyrs one season, and was sold to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1963. After two years with the Lakers, he was signed by the Boston Celtics. In his first season with Boston, Nelson averaged 10.2 points and 5.
more