Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday. He was 86.
Nelson’s death was announced by the Golden State Warriors, one of the teams he coached.
Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time coach of the year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, never winning a title.
Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.
Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.
His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the “Run TMC” era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.
Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.
In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.
Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his father as an assistant coach with the Mavericks in 1998, later became general manager and remained with the organization until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Don Nelson also developed Steve Nash into one of the NBA’s top point guards before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.
At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs in one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. In his final season as a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry in 2009-10.
Nelson retired as the NBA’s career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before close friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022.
The NBA community is mourning the death of Hall of Fame player and coach Don Nelson.
Nelson, who won five championships as a member of the Boston Celtics and then became one of the sport's winningest coaches, died Sunday, Aug. 9, at the age of 86.
The Warriors issued a statement on their official Instagram account calling Nelson "an iconic figure in Warriors history" for his 11 seasons with Golden State.
"He was a true basketball visionary who saw the game differently and was never afraid to challenge conventional thinking," the post read, in part. "His approach helped shape the game and paved the way for generations of players and coaches who followed."
Steph Curry on Nelson
Warriors point guard Stephen Curry only played for Nelson for one season, but said he was "one of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors."
“The story is he never liked rookies," Curry said in a statement, "but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court ...
"He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game. He’s a true icon and will be missed by the countless number of people he touched, including myself, during a legendary career.”
Dirk Nowitzki flourished under Nelson
As general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, Nelson was the driving force behind the draft-day trade in 1998 that brought Dirk Nowitzki to the Mavs.
He went on to a Hall of Fame career, spending every one of his 21 seasons in a Mavericks uniform.
"Nellie… You didn't just draft me. You believed in me," Nowitzki posted on X. "You saw things in my game before I ever realized I could do them. I've said it a million times and I will always say it: I don't think my career could have turned out how it did without you being my first coach and giving me the freedom to play my game."
Nellie… You didn't just draft me. You believed in me. You saw things in my game before I ever realized I could do them. I've said it a million times and I will always say it: I don't think my career could have turned out how it did without you being my first coach and giving me…
UNITED STATES - APRIL 15: Basketball: Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson in huddle with team during game vs Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas, TX 4/15/1999 (Photo by David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X57707)
He will be remembered around the DFW area as a Dallas Mavericks coaching and front office legend, but as large as his presence loomed over the franchise he guided from utter dormancy to perennial power, the basketball moments Don Nelson authored outside of his time with the Mavericks will be remembered as his most lasting and impactful.
Nelson passed away at age 86 on Sunday. At the time of his passing, Nelson had been living full-time on Maui, Hawaii, specifically in a home overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Kihei. He had come a long way from Muskegon, Mich., where he was born on May 15, 1940, but his mileage in the game of basketball is rivaled only by an elite few. And he’d hate for his name to be mentioned in a sentence also occupied by the word “elite.”
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family. Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
Hall of Famer Don Nelson, three-time NBA Coach of the Year and five times a champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, has died at age 86.
The family has issued this statement:
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson… pic.twitter.com/MkDMNugYcu
Nelson will be remembered as an innovator and a maverick, befitting the name of the franchise he coached from 1997-2005, a giant of the game he spent his life dedicated to and a fun-loving, unforgettable figure. He advocated for wildfire relief in Maui and for cannabis reform outside the game.
“People thought I was a mad scientist,” Nelson said in 2025 after receiving the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award by the NBA Coaches Association. “They may have been right.”
He arrived in Dallas in 1997, taking on the tall task of revitalizing a stagnant Mavericks franchise. He immediately jettisoned Oliver Miller, the overweight and chronically unhappy center. The brand of “Nellie Ball” he would introduce Mavericks fans to over the next nine seasons would help usher in a new, fast-paced style of play that coincided with the game’s growing globalization.
“I read where Miller said he doesn’t care anymore, and I don’t want people like that around,” Nelson said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I don’t want anybody on my basketball team who doesn’t care.”
He was already the sixth-winningest NBA head coach ever when he came to Dallas, after being fired by the New York Knicks the year prior. He replaced Jim Cleamons as head coach late in the 1996-97 campaign.
“I thought I would be coming back to the NBA as a coach,” he told the Times. “Not many of these [general manager] jobs open up. I’m as surprised as anyone here.”
Nelson continued to surprise us all throughout his tenure as the Mavs’ coach and GM.
His first two seasons with the Mavericks were not successful, perhaps even steps back from the team’s 24-58 record in 1996-97, but as Dirk Nowitzki began to develop into the game-changing star that Mavs fans would come to know and love, Nelson’s stock, and his team’s, began to soar.
Nowitzki would go on to score 20.7 points and pull down 7.5 rebounds per game over his 21-year career with the Mavs, earning MVP honors for the 2006-07 season and leading the franchise to its first and only championship in 2011. Nowitzki posted his remembrance on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday afternoon, saying:
“I don’t think my career could have turned out how it did without you being my first coach and giving me the freedom to play my game. I can only say THANK YOU. For everything.”
Nellie… You didn't just draft me. You believed in me. You saw things in my game before I ever realized I could do them. I've said it a million times and I will always say it: I don't think my career could have turned out how it did without you being my first coach and giving me…
The Mavs went 40-42 in 1999-2000, then embarked on an 11-year run of 50 wins or more, the first five of which came under Nelson’s tutelage. His son and future Mavericks’ GM Donnie Nelson is credited with initially scouting and “discovering” the otherworldly talent hiding in Wurtzburg, Germany, and Don and Donnie did their best to hide Nowitzki’s raw, game-changing talent from other front offices early on in that process.
Don Nelson watched Nowitzki train for the first time at the Downtown Dallas YMCA, leading Nelson to call the future star “the most unbelievable young player” he had ever seen. He literally hid the teenage Nowitzki in his basement for a time before Nowitzki was drafted ninth overall by the team in 1998.
Nelson was also integral in point guard Steve Nash’s development. Nowitzki and Nash would lead the Mavericks to 57 wins in 2001-02 and 60 more the next year. Dallas would lose in the Western Conference Finals both seasons before Nash departed for Phoenix in the summer of 2004. Nash would go on to win NBA MVP honors in both 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Outside of his time with the Mavericks, Nelson will be remembered for scoring a Game 7-securing insurance bucket in the 1969 NBA Finals, when he played for Red Auerbach’s Boston Celtics. His shot from near the right elbow bounced high off the back of the rim and straight in, as if guided through the net by the basketball gods. It will be forever remembered as one of the biggest moments in late-game championship history.
“[Auerbach] called me up and said, ‘What do you think about Nelson?’” Tommy Heinsohn, Basketball Hall of Famer in the class of 1986 and Auerbach’s assistant, said. “I said, ‘This guy is slower than the turtle. But I’m going to tell you something, Red. He is a terrific offensive player. He can score.‘”
He would go on to win five championships as a player and three NBA Coach of the Year titles during his 31 seasons roaming the sidelines. Including his 14-year playing career, he spent 45 years in the professional game. He was a titan among titans. An icon who left an ever-lasting impact on every franchise he touched, from his start in Boston to his late coaching run with the Golden State Warriors, where he led the eight-seeded “We Believe” bunch to a first-round playoff win over his former team, the Mavericks, in the 2006-07 playoffs.
The Mavericks won 67 games that regular season, but that old rascal lovingly known as Nellie knew a little something about how to bring down the team he had built into the best in the West.
He finished his coaching career with 1,335 coaching wins, which at the time of his retirement in 2010 was the most all-time. His 79 ejections during his 31-year coaching career are an unofficial record as well. You could never accuse Nelson of not caring.
Nelson made 18 playoff appearances as a coach, finishing with a 75-91 postseason record. San Antonio Spurs coaching legend Gregg Popovich passed his regular-season mark in 2022, and Popovich’s 1,390 still stands today.
The Nelson Family has also announced that there will be a celebration of life in tribute to Don Nelson on Thursday, Aug. 13, at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas. An ashes ceremony in Maui for friends and family will be confirmed at a future date, according to Stein.
The Nelson Family has also announced that there will be a Celebration of Life in tribute to Don Nelson on Thursday (Aug.13) at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas.
An ashes ceremony in Maui for friends and family will be confirmed at a future date.
Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont released a statement shortly after the initial reports of Nelson’s passing, saying:
“Don Nelson was a true original whose impact on the Dallas Mavericks and the game of basketball will endure for generations. Nellie helped transform this franchise, bringing an innovative spirit, a belief in doing things differently and, most importantly, a winning culture to Dallas. His influence can be seen throughout Mavericks history and across the NBA today.
“On behalf of the entire Mavericks organization, our thoughts are with Don’s family, friends, former players and coaches, and the many people whose lives he touched. We are grateful for all he gave to the Mavericks and to the game he loved.”
Rest easy, Coach Nelson. The game you loved with every ounce of your soul mourns your loss today.
And now, he’s ante’d up at the Great Card Game in the Sky.
1999: Head Coach Don Nelson of the Dallas Mavericks shares a light moment with Mavericks rookie star forward Dirk Nowitzki during an NBA game circa 1999. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1999 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 12: Head coach Don Nelson of the Golden State Warriors cracks a smile during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers on October 12, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Clippers won 124-117. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA world lost one of its greats on Sunday, as Hall of Famer Don Nelson has passed away at the age of 86. His family announced the news, saying, “On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family. Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
Nelson was a legendary figure with the Golden State Warriors and numerous other teams. After a collegiate career at Iowa, Nelson played briefly with the Chicago Zephyrs and Los Angeles Lakers before cementing his legacy with an 11-year tenure on the Boston Celtics, in which he won five NBA championships and had his No. 19 jersey retired.
In his first year after hanging up his sneakers, Nelson worked as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, but was promoted to head coach just 18 games into the season. A year later, he took on double duty as both coach and general manager, and held both roles for more than a decade. He resigned in 1988 due to fractured relationship with Milwaukee’s owner.
That led to Nellie’s first stint with the Warriors. He took over as Golden State’s head coach in 1988, and coached for six seasons before resigning in February of 1995. With the Warriors, Nelson formed the famous Run TMC era, as Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin became a fast-paced, free-wheeling, highly-entertaining trio.
After a brief stint coaching the New York Knicks, and eight years at the helm of the Dallas Mavericks, Nellie returned to the Warriors for the 2006-07 season. In his first year back in the Bay Area, Nelson formed built the deeply entertaining We Believe Warriors squad, when the eighth-seeded Dubs shocked the top-seeded Mavericks for one of the biggest upsets in NBA history.
Nelson continued coaching the Warriors through the 2009-10 season, which was Steph Curry’s rookie year, before resigning. It has been reported that Nelson was one of the strongest voices advocating for the Warriors to draft Curry, while many had questions about the future superstar’s ability to survive against the size and physicality of the NBA.
That was Nelson’s final year in the NBA, after which he retired to Maui where he was known for his celebrity-filled poker games and his marijuana farm.
Nelson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012, finished his playing career with 10,898 points and five rings, and his coaching career with a 1,335-1,063 record, 18 playoff appearances, and three Coach of the Year honors (including in 1992 with the Warriors).
Philadelphia was the biggest winner this offseason — landing Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to go with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid — and with that, there are already a lot of news and rumors around the team heading into the season. Here are a few.
Brown threw phone when told of trade
Jaylen Brown is excited to be a 76er and chase a ring in Philadelphia.
That was not his initial reaction. Brown was drafted by Boston, won a championship there and had invested his time and money in the community. He didn't just show up to collect a paycheck. So, unsurprisingly, when he talked at his introductory press conference about getting the call that told him he was traded, he described frustration, with the quote via Noah Levick at NBC Sports Philadelphia.
"When I first (learned) I got traded, I just threw my phone across the room," he said with a laugh... "I think Maxey reached out to me first. He reached out and was like, 'I know it's a lot of stuff going on right now, but we're excited to have you.'"...
"There's been a lot of emotions," he said. "It's been a process. To be honest, I'm still processing to some degree. One, the excitement of coming to a new city, new place, new expectations, new energy. And then also leaving somewhere that you've been for a very, very long time."
One thing that will help with that will be workouts with teammates in the coming weeks, and eventually the start of training camp.
LeBron the connector
The expectation is that LeBron James will be the "point guard" for Philadelphia this season, although the better way to describe that may be that he will be the one initiating the offense.
"LeBron's a connector. That's the one thing about him. He fits every role you possibly can. He's gonna elevate everyone in the whole building...
"When LeBron was maybe a possibility, I went back and watched some of the Olympic tape with [Embiid] and LeBron. Those two played pretty well together. We have so many different options. Any given night anyone can be the guy. So I think once we get clicking and get gelling, it's gonna be fun to watch."
Gansey also was honest about needing the first domino to fall before LeBron would come.
"Without getting Jaylen, I don't think we get LeBron."
Veterans want to get in
The 76ers have 14 players on the roster heading into training camp, and that's likely where things will stay. Philadelphia is hard-capped at the first apron and is $1.8 million below that number as it stands, meaning they can't add even a veteran minimum deal right now.
Still, a couple of veterans are throwing their hats in the ring.
"Though the 6-foot-10 Love and James have remained close since teaming up for four seasons with the Cavaliers and even vacationed extensively together this summer, that bond doesn't necessarily mean there will be a roster spot for the former five-time All-Star by training camp."
Markieff Morris says that roster spot should be his.
Shiddd if it’s anybody getting that last Vet roster spot it’s gonna be me! Philly raised!!! https://t.co/QZPs25JKVR
Again, Philly would have to waive Jabari Walker, who is just partially guaranteed (that's not happening), or trade a player to have the cap space to sign anyone. Don't bet on it. This is the roster entering the season.
Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday. He was 86.
Nelson’s death was announced by the Golden State Warriors, one of the teams he coached. His family confirmed the death in a statement that did not how say where he died or provide a cause.
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the statement said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time Coach of the Year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, never winning a title.
Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.
Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.
In Nelson’s second season, Milwaukee overcame a 29-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Atlanta 117-115 in regulation.
“I coached the team as though I was still playing for the Celtics, while implementing a few of my own strategies,” Nelson wrote. “I knew I wanted to play unconventional basketball and use speed to my advantage.”
His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the “Run TMC” era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.
Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.
In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.
Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his father as an assistant coach with the Mavericks in 1998, later became general manager and remained with the organization until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Don Nelson also developed Steve Nash into one of the NBA’s top point guards before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.
“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” current Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game.”
At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs in one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. In his final season as a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry in 2009-10.
“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court,” Curry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”
Davis added: “When I think of Nellie, I’ll always think of the ‘We Believe’ team and our incredible run in 2007. He understood what made us go and made us believe we could beat anybody, ultimately helping us make history as the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series. That time in my life and career was truly special, and Nellie was a huge part of making it possible.”
Nelson retired as the NBA’s career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before close friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022.
Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025 he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association. Miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade, Nelson wore a pair of Doncic’s signature Jordan Brand sneakers to the awards ceremony. He called the trade a “tremendous mistake.”
Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Nelson attended high school in Rock Island, Illinois, and averaged a double-double in college at Iowa. He spent his retirement years living on the Hawaiian island of Maui and owned several short-term rentals on the island.
Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday. He was 86.
Nelson’s death was announced by the Golden State Warriors, one of the teams he coached. His family confirmed the death in a statement that did not how say where he died or provide a cause.
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the statement said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time Coach of the Year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, never winning a title.
Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.
Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.
In Nelson’s second season, Milwaukee overcame a 29-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Atlanta 117-115 in regulation.
“I coached the team as though I was still playing for the Celtics, while implementing a few of my own strategies,” Nelson wrote. “I knew I wanted to play unconventional basketball and use speed to my advantage.”
His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the “Run TMC” era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.
Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.
In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.
Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his father as an assistant coach with the Mavericks in 1998, later became general manager and remained with the organization until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Don Nelson also developed Steve Nash into one of the NBA’s top point guards before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.
“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” current Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game.”
At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs in one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. In his final season as a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry in 2009-10.
“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court,” Curry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”
Davis added: “When I think of Nellie, I’ll always think of the ‘We Believe’ team and our incredible run in 2007. He understood what made us go and made us believe we could beat anybody, ultimately helping us make history as the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series. That time in my life and career was truly special, and Nellie was a huge part of making it possible.”
Nelson retired as the NBA’s career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before close friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022.
Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025 he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association. Miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade, Nelson wore a pair of Doncic’s signature Jordan Brand sneakers to the awards ceremony. He called the trade a “tremendous mistake.”
Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Nelson attended high school in Rock Island, Illinois, and averaged a double-double in college at Iowa. He spent his retirement years living on the Hawaiian island of Maui and owned several short-term rentals on the island.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 24: From left, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard during a press conference at the Green Meadows Recreation Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. George and Leonard were introduced to the media and fans as the newest members of the Clippers. (Photo by Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Daily Breeze via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
As the Toronto Raptors patiently await the fate of Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, here’s what sports history suggests could be in store for all parties involved.
Joe Smith precedent
The closest comparison is Joe Smith, who played 16 years in the NBA between 1995 and 2011. Before the 2000 season, it was discovered that Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves had committed salary circumvention. The Timberwolves promised the forward a lucrative long-term deal if he agreed to three one-year contracts of $3 million each.
The league’s punishment mostly affected the franchise, rather than Smith. While Smith’s one-year contracts were voided, he didn’t have to pay anything back. He also lost his Bird Rights, which only affected Minnesota. However, in addition to a fine, the Timberwolves ultimately lost their first-rounders for the next three years. Timberwolves Owner Glenn Taylor and General Manager Kevin McHale were asked to leave the team until the following summer.
While there’s an obvious discrepancy in the amount of money involved, how the NBA handled the Smith debacle suggests that Leonard won’t have to pay a single percentage of the salary earned during his time in Los Angeles. Additionally, the Clippers could likely end up losing draft picks while receiving a fine.
If Leonard’s contract is voided, Raptors fans should consider that as the nightmare scenario. Toronto wouldn’t have the financial space to offer Leonard anywhere near his market value, and it’s likely the 2019 Finals MVP would prefer a team with a clean slate.
The Devil is in the details
If the NBA looks outside of its sandbox for guidance, the NHL rejected a deal between the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk during the 2010 off-season. The league concluded that the Devils’ 17-year, $102-million contract illegally circumvented the salary cap because of its back-end structure, despite other organizations using similar strategies.
The Devils were fined $3-million and forfeited a first-round pick, and a third-round pick.
The NFL had a similar experience when the league office punished the Denver Broncos in 2004 for salary cap circumvention between 1996-98. The details of the findings include the Broncos organization and their players agreeing to deferred payments. Denver won back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1997 and 1998. The franchise was fined nearly $1-million and lost its third-round pick in the ensuing draft.
These examples further suggest that the Clippers could lose draft picks and receive financial penalties.
Suspensions
A majority of the suspensions in NBA history are due to physical altercations and incidents involving drugs or substances. Ron Artest’s involvement in Malice at the Palace (86 games), Latrell Sprewell’s altercation with Head Coach P.J. Carlesimo (68 games), and Gilbert Arenas’ locker room incident (50 games) are the three longest player suspensions. Meanwhile, former Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver (93 games) and Golden State Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens (65 games) served the longest suspensions for non-players.
If Leonard is suspended, it’s like that it ends up being anywhere from one to 30 games. Stephen Jackson (Malice at the Palace) and Miles Bridges (domestic violence) both received 30-game suspensions. While there isn’t precedent for salary circumvention, there have been rare suspensions for player conduct deemed detrimental to the team or league’s reputation. This includes two separate suspensions for Ja Morant with the Memphis Grizzlies (25 games, eight games), Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets (eight games), and Jimmy Butler with the Miami Heat (seven games).
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 15: OG Anunoby accepts the Best Play award onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on July 15, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is a literary trope of the traveler escaping his identity simply by crossing a border. Kings become strangers, heroes become ordinary men, princes become paupers. For those burdened by an oversaturation of fame, especially a person with a more sensitive temperament, the escape must be tantalizing: why not abscond someplace where the role you inhabit at home disappears because the people around you don’t know or don’t care about it?
Bouncing seemed like a good idea to Ogugua “OG” Anunoby, Jr. He won an NBA championship in New York City, then booked it to someplace nobody would bother him.
In a recent piece for The Times of London, Anunoby discussed the strange contrast between his celebrity in New York after winning the championship and his relative anonymity in London, where he was born and lived for a few years.
Anunoby is becoming an increasingly visible bridge between the Knicks, British basketball, and the NBA’s broader European ambitions. He told The Times that he believes the UK has enough talent to become a significant basketball country if its infrastructure and development pathways improve.
Every summer he hosts a youth basketball camp in London (and another at Jefferson City High School in Missouri, where he played). This offseason he has put money and presence behind the renovation of a public court in Camden, partnering with local government and the NBPA. Commissioner Adam Silver, keen on expanding the NBA brand overseas, must drool to see OG carry the torch across the pond. Which is ironic, given that Anunoby seems averse to carrying torches, or megaphones.
One of the quietest men in the league, his personality has always contrasted with the theatricality of Madison Square Garden basketball. As could be expected, winning the NBA title has only sharpened that contrast.
Anunoby is no longer simply the high-level complementary player New York acquired from Toronto. His place in Knicks history changed permanently in June, when his Game Four tip-in became the defining play of a championship that ended a five-decade drought. Now he occupies the nebulous space between star and anti-star. While his is an icon in Manhattan, he can apparently walk into a Greggs in London without causing much hullabaloo.
It seems that celebrity is something a community agrees to see, or not. We’ve often seen how it can scramble a person’s eggs (see Britney, Kanye, Charlie Sheen, etc.). In May 2005, during the filming of the third season of Chappelle’s Show, Dave Chappelle abruptly quit and traveled to South Africa for a spiritual retreat, stepping away from a $50 million contract to escape overwhelming fame and growing discomfort over how his comedy was interpreted. One of the allures of Africa was anonymity.
Even I am not immune to the stress of fame. I type this in Bar Harbor, ME, where no one stops celebrities on the sidewalk for selfies and autographs, apparently. I’m a human being, you monsters.
As for the enigmatic Ogugua, he seems to have a healthy understanding of who he is, his place in the world, and how to navigate being an NBA star. Professional sports are increasingly built upon manufactured personalities. Players become brands; brands become content; content becomes an endless plea to look at me. Yet, Anunoby became famous while largely seeming uninterested in becoming famous. He is, above all, grounded. He also made a shot that ensured millions of people would remember him forever.
Though he was selected by Golden State in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft without having played in college, Ellis now has the opportunity to give back to an HBCU near his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi.
But that’s not why Ellis has raised the collective eyebrows of Dub Nation.
Instead, it’s for an interesting statement Ellis made to ESPN in a story announcing his new role. The 2006-07 NBA Most Improved Player discussed how his Warriors teams, though less talented and not nearly as successful, helped set the stage for Golden State’s dynasty led by Steph Curry.
“That’s what I dealt with. And people know that,” Ellis told ESPN’s Myron Medcalf. “Real people that know basketball and all that, they know that. They know the team that I was dealt with.
“If you switched me and Steph out with the team that won the championships, it’d be the same thing. So you’ve got to take the good with the bad, and that’s cool. It put me in a position to make money for me and my family. I ran with that.”
It certainly is a bold statement from Ellis, who played for the Warriors from 2005 until being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks midway through the 2011-12 NBA season — in part to allow Golden State to build around Curry.
Ellis was a talented player in his own right; he averaged 19.6 points and 4.4 assists on 46.5-percent shooting during his time in the Bay. And Ellis wasn’t surrounded by as much talent, especially once Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson departed from Golden State.
That being said, most of Dub Nation would agree Ellis wasn’t quite in the same realm as Curry.
And though we never truly will know if the Warriors would have won four titles — or perhaps more — had Curry been traded instead of Ellis, there probably aren’t many regrets from fans or the organization.
NBA's rule change last season to not count last second heaves as missed FGs for players had a big effect on their behavior.
A new research paper by 2 Texas Tech professors, James W. Kemper & Noah Liptack, found players took that shot 94% of the time last season after taking it… pic.twitter.com/63X248sJq6
“NBA’s rule change last season to not count last second heaves as missed FGs for players had a big effect on their behavior.
A new research paper by 2 Texas Tech professors, James W. Kemper & Noah Liptack, found players took that shot 94% of the time last season after taking it 58% in the decade prior.
The paper said the most reluctance to shoot, before the rule change, was ‘concentrated among efficient shooters and players in contract years.’”
While it should come as no surprise that not penalizing players for last second shots led to an increase of attempts, the amount of change (58% to 94%) is quite drastic. That said, the 36% rise was over a decade, when three-point attempts were less common.
As a math teacher, I found the methodology and formulas interesting as well.
Play-by-play. We use ESPN play-by-play data (ESPN, 2026) for the NBA and WNBA covering the 2015–16 through 2025–26 seasons, obtained via the sportsdataverse hoopR (NBA) and wehoop (WNBA) packages (Gilani, 2021; Gilani & Hutchinson, 2021).1 For every possession, these records report the players involved, the event type, the game clock, the period, the running score, and shot coordinates. Together, they let us reconstruct what each offensive player chose to do in the final seconds of a quarter and recover the model’s statistical state variables—specifically, the time remaining t, the shot distance d, and the score margin m.
Their conclusion offers a comprehensive overview of not just basketball, but risk-taking as a whole:
“By removing the individual statistical penalty for end-of-quarter shots, we observed an immediate, near-universal alignment of player behavior with collective team success. These findings transcend basketball, offering a broader cautionary tale for organizational economics: poorly calibrated performance evaluations inevitably breed strategic subversion. When designed correctly, eliminating distorted metric penalties serves as a highly effective lever to align individual incentives with overarching organizational goals.”
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The statistical comps for Alex Sarr are somewhat worrisome. | Getty Images
It’s August, which means it’s time for the annual statistical doppelgänger series.
Refresher: over the next few weeks, I’ll be running Wizards players through an algorithm built atop a database of every player season from 1977-78 to present. The algorithm compares players across 14 statistical categories and determines which player seasons from NBA history are most similar. The system is dubbed: The Statistical Doppelgänger Machine.
The Machine was borne from the desire to do something other than the eyeball comps, which often relied on superficial similarities like skin color, height, and perceived style. Mileage may vary, but I personally got tired of hearing about the next Magic, next Larry, or next Jordan.
If you look at these two through The Statistical Doppelgänger Machine, they’re practically twins. | Getty Images
Results from The Machine have been interesting through the years, at least to me. While position isn’t one of the factors, it weirdly tends to produce comps from the same general grouping. The outputs are sometimes surprising — different styles and perceived player types producing similar results.
This year’s Wizards produced one result so on the nose it kinda pisses me off, which you’ll see below. One comp (that I’ll be writing about in a few days) was so startling that I went back and double-checked to make sure I’d run the process correctly.
Enough preamble. Today, let’s talk the non-rookie player most likely to become a bona fide NBA star: Alex Sarr.
The second overall pick in 2024 (he’d go No. 1 in a re-draft, in my opinion), Sarr improved markedly in his second season. At least when he could stay on the floor. Last season, he managed just 48 games and 1,300 minutes. As a rookie, he made it 67 games and 1,800 minutes. For those who don’t feel like doing the math, that means he missed about 30% of the team’s games his first two seasons.
My guess is that he would have played more if the Wizards had been trying to win, but it’s impossible to know for sure. It’s similarly difficult to know how seriously to take aspects of his performance. When I analyzed his performance ekg in May, I noted the decline in his production as the season wore on. Was that decline indicative of his true abilities or a symptom of a team committed to losing?
That’s impossible to know and is one of the perils of prolonged tanking.
To the doppelgängers:
Kristaps Porzingis | 2015-16 | New York Knicks | Age: 20 — This comp is perfectly annoyingly infuriating, mainly because it just might fit too well considering Sarr’s history of missed games and the fact that he’s dealing with a fractured right foot this summer. Porzingis was an enormously talented big man (7-3) whose career has been pocked with an array of leg and foot injuries. This comp season was Porzingis’ rookie year. He played 72 games, which was his career high.
Jared Sullinger | 2014-15 | Boston Celtics | Age: 22 — This comp is less worrisome, primarily because it’s more easily dismissed. This was first of consecutive good seasons from Sullinger. His career cratered when his weight ballooned. That seems unlikely to be an issue with Sarr.
Bobby Portis | 2017-18 | Chicago Bulls | Age: 22 — The production per possession was eerily similar between the two, though Sarr’s overall performance grades out better in my PPA metric. One major difference: Portis was one of the worst defenders I’ve ever seen who actually tried, and Sarr was a very good defender when he was trying.
Marvin Bagley III | 2020-21 and 2021-22 | Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons | Ages: 21 and 22 — Like Sarr, a second overall pick in his draft. Unlike Sarr, he went ahead of generational stars like Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It’s arguable that Stephon Castle could go No. 1 in a redraft, but Sarr would still land second. I want to dismiss this comp, though I’m not sure we should. Some key differences: defense (Bagley wasn’t a rim protector and was weak defending in space), and playmaking (Sarr averaged more than twice as many assists on a per possession basis). You might want to say “shooting,” but Bagley shot 34.3% from deep in the first of these two comp years on 4.7 attempts per 100 team possessions and then his shot got worse. And Bagley’s health has been a major issue throughout his career.
Chet Holmgren | 2023-24 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Age: 21 — Hey great, another injury-prone big man. This was Holmgren’s rookie year because he missed what should have been his first season with a broken foot. He played all 82 games, missed 50 games the following season with a hip fracture, and appeared in 69 regular season games last season. He’s been a terrific defender and versatile offensive threat, who’s been good enough to merit a maximum contract extension that starts this season.
If you’re not happy with these comps, well…the names don’t get a whole lot better, in part because the next few are different seasons from the same names — Sullinger, Bagley, Holmgren each have other seasons in the top 10 “similar” seasons. One fairly promising name lanes ninth: Jaren Jackson Jr.
I qualified “promising” because while Jackson has sublime defensive abilities (he was Defensive Player of the Year in 2023), I also think he’s gotten overrated overall. His high usage and below average offensive efficiency puts a drag on the team’s offense, and his rampant fouling undercuts his defensive value. Sarr doesn’t foul nearly so much.
One way I’ve looked at doppelgänger results is to see how long it takes to get to a Hall of Famer. In Sarr’s case, it’s a while — a Chris Webber season from his time with the Bullets shows up in the 190s. But seasons from Thomas Bryant and Andray Blatche show up sooner.
If you’re not worried enough by the presence of Porzingis and Bagley in the top five, the extended list is chock full of talented players who had disappointing careers due to injuries, attitude, or limitations. At the risk of sending all you readers off to stare into the abyss, the list includes names like Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor, and Michael Beasley — in addition to Bryant and Blatche. sigh
Okay, that’s enough on Sarr and his comps. The next player through the machine has some bizarre and wildly encouraging comps.
Some, giggling at some of his imaginative lineups, called him the mad scientist of the NBA. Others considered him cunning, even ruthless, a shrewd behind-the-scenes manipulator with a gift for obscuring his ulterior motives with a smile or a joke.
Don Nelson was all that and more.
The former Golden State Warriors coach who in 2012 entered the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, died Sunday at age 86. It is conceivable that no coach in NBA history did more moving and shaking and feuding, on the court and off, than Nelson.
Hall of Famer Don Nelson, three-time NBA Coach of the Year and five times a champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, has died at age 86.
The family has issued this statement:
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson… pic.twitter.com/MkDMNugYcu
No coach did more winning, either, until one of Nelson’s disciples, San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, supplanted him atop the NBA’s career wins list in March 2022.
“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr wrote in a statement. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game. His impact on the Warriors is just as significant. He helped shape some of the most memorable teams and moments in franchise history and built a lasting connection with generations of Warriors fans. His legacy will always remain an important part of this organization. My thoughts are with the entire Nelson family.”
“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson,” Warriors superstar Steph Curry wrote. “The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court. He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game. He’s a true icon and will be missed by the countless number of people he touched, including myself, during a legendary career. Sending my love to Joy, his family and all those who were fortunate enough to know him.”
Nelson was the first coach to make copious use of a “point forward,” running plays through Marques Johnson and Paul Pressey in Milwaukee, though Rod Higgins and Chris Mullin and Stephen Jackson in Golden State. Nelson displayed considerable ingenuity with schemes that generated offense but never devoted much attention to defense.
Which is how Nelson executed one of the great magic tricks in sports. He retired in 2010 with more wins than any coach the league had ever known yet never won a championship or reached The Finals.
Nelson spent 31 seasons coaching four different NBA teams, serving two terms with the Warriors – 1988-94, 2007-10 – both of which mixed excitement before devolving into controversy or animosity.
As Golden State coach/general manager in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, Nelson was the architect of the fabled Run-TMC teams featuring Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. After so many sub-mediocre seasons, the enthusiasm for those teams made Nelson a Bay Area celebrity so popular that he would receive standing ovations at the Oakland Coliseum Arena when walking onto the court before tipoff.
Yet it was Nelson who, after coaching Run-TMC for two seasons, the second of which included a first-round playoff sweep of the Utah Jazz, dismantled the trio by trading Richmond. The move blew up the team’s strong chemistry. It took 16 years, with eight coaches cycling through the franchise, for the Warriors to win another postseason series; Nelson later acknowledged the trade was his biggest regret.
Yes, even bigger than his mismanagement of Chris Webber. The first overall pick in the 1993 draft lasted one season, in which he was named Rookie of the Year. Nelson, headstrong, made few sincere attempts to connect with the big man of his dreams and their differences quickly became irreconcilable.
The Warriors were swept by Phoenix in the first round of the 1994 playoffs. Webber was traded within six months, with Nelson resigning three months later. Eighteen months after Golden State was positioned to become a perennial playoff team, the franchise plummeted to its nadir, with Webber getting some of the blame but the brunt of it directed at Nelson.
After one uneasy season coaching the New York Knicks, Nelson took a year off before being hired by the Dallas Mavericks. After three sub-.500 seasons, Nelson guided a roster featuring Steve Nash and young Dirk Nowitzki to four consecutive playoff berths, including his first conference finals.
That run also ended bitterly, with Nelson and high-profile team owner Mark Cuban accusing each other of lies and deceit. Nelson filed a lawsuit than ended with him receiving a $6.3 million settlement through arbitration.
By which time Nelson had returned to the Warriors – and taken them to the playoffs.
Mullin, then the general manager, persuaded his former coach, then 66, to return to the sideline. Mullin then made a midseason trade to acquire Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington, who along with incumbent point guard Baron Davis, presenting Nelson with a satisfying roster that finished 42-40 and became the “We Believe” Warriors. Earning the No. 8 seed, they achieved one of the biggest upsets in playoff history, taking down the top-seeded Mavericks. It was a particularly tasty triumph for the coach.
The euphoria lasted one season. Though the Warriors made significant improvement in the regular season, finishing 48-34, their efforts went for naught in an exceedingly rare season in which eight teams in the West won at least 50 games.
A few months later, Nelson and Davis were at odds, with Mullin in the uncomfortable role of referee – while also trying to re-sign in the point guard. Golden State president Robert Rowell nixed the Davis deal, which led to friction among all involved parties. Nelson lasted two more seasons, both wretched.
Through it all, Nelson retired as the most imaginative coach the Warriors had ever known.
Moreover, he left them with a gift that serves as glorious restitution for his sins: Nelson selected a point guard named Stephen Curry in the first round of the 2009 draft.
A bird of prey in Qanater El Khayreya, Qalyubia, Egypt, on July 24, 2026. (Photo by Ahmed Mosaad/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Nearly a week to put together a large enough amount of links and notes; that’s how it goes…
Jalen Brunson continues to embrace his status as King of New York, appearing at the famed Rucker Park during Nike’s NYvsNY streetball tournament in early August, Thanos-cast and all included.
Do you know who could become available as the Knicks keep looking for a third-string center? Old pal Taj, whose $3.82 million non-guaranteed contract makes him a potential waiver candidate in Memphis, says HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. Too bad Thibs is no longer around…
Per the NYP, Knicks assistant Carson Shanks will not return to New York after three seasons with the organization.
Tyler Nickel’s Knicks future briefly became a talking point after reports suggested he could explore returning to college. Hours later, we learned the kid is expected to go pro and join the organization. Hooray!
Not so much luck for the drafted-and-stashed German Knickerbocker Jack Kayil. Auf Wiedersehen!
Stephon Marbury opened up about the personal tragedies that pushed him to leave the NBA for China. Chunk of the full interview:
“I was dealing with a lot. I was super depressed. My dad was rushed to the hospital, and my dad passed away while I was on the court. And then my dad died, then my coach died like a week later, my aunt died, and then my mom checked in the hospital on her deathbed. So it was like a lot. And then my situation with the Knicks, it was going bad. And my brand, Starbury, I was being attacked… I was just like super depressed. I was in a state of wanting to kil- myself, feeling like I wanted to kil- myself, not wanting to be here because of dealing with the stress and pressure of losing people that I love.”
Josh Hart has been named a Scouting America Ambassador. Hart earned Eagle Scout honors in high school and said scouting taught him discipline and accountability.
Is Stephen Curry thinking about requesting a trade out of Golden State? Doesn’t sound like it. “I think honestly, you figure it out in real time,” he said.
Lonnie Walker IV is returning to the NBA after spending last season with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He’s now a Denver Nugget. Is this the opposite of what happens in football when players play a season or two in Saudi Arabia, then try to return once their bags are filled?
A proposed February trade would have sent Domantas Sabonis to Toronto in exchange for Knickerbocker legend and current Raptor RJ Barrett. It failed because the Raptors couldn’t move Jakob Poeltl’s contract. Welp.
Shaquille O’Neal believes Kobe Bryant belongs alongside Michael Jordan and LeBron James in the GOAT debate.
Brandon Clarke’s death was officially ruled an accidental overdose involving heroin and cocaine.
Russell Westbrook isn’t thinking about his future too much.
Kevin Love has been in contact with the 76ers since LeBron James chose Philadelphia, as he wants to join Philly for one final run alongside his old mate. ESPN, however, poured cold water on Love’s forehead by noting there is no guarantee the veteran forward will receive a roster spot.
Former NBA guard Royce White announced he also intends to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft, hours after Enes Kanter Freedom made a similar announcement. It took WNBA commish Cathy Engelbert a day to respond and announce the league will meet next week to discuss and clarify what qualifies a player as a woman for the WNBA.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 29: Darryn Peterson of the Utah Jaxx attends the WNBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on July 29, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury defeated the Valkyries 91-89. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Utah Jazz are going to have one of the most interesting seasons of any team this season. What makes it so interesting, besides the shift toward playoff contention, is how many different storylines there are to watch. Multiple players will be competing for different awards and accolades. Whether it’s Darryn Peterson, Keyonte George, Jaren Jackson Jr., or Ace Bailey, each has unique pathways to stardom.
But what accomplishment is most possible for each of these players? In our latest Jazz Reacts survey, Jazz fans let us know.
According to 44% of Jazz fans, Darryn Peterson winning Rookie of the Year is the most likely thing that will happen this season.
It certainly seems very likely. Peterson has the most talent we’ve ever seen in a Jazz rookie. He’ll also be on a winning team and should be given a starting role to play alongside Keyonte George in the backcourt. If he plays well, gets consistent minutes, and the Jazz win a lot of games, it’s hard to see him not winning.
Keyonte George being an All-Star coming in second also makes sense. He’ll have consistent minutes and will play alongside elite talent that will clear the path for him to take another leap.
What’s crazy is that all of these things have a real possibility of happening. Obviously, that’s not likely, but the fact that all of these things aren’t ridiculous really shows how fun this season is going to be.
At FanDuel, Peterson’s odds have fallen to third now that Summer League is over. We’ll see if that changes as the year goes on. One thing is for sure, that Rookie of the Year race is going to be an epic one.
