Don Nelson Just Won a Lifetime Achievement Award — Then Called Out the Mavericks for Trading Luka

This past Sunday during Game 2 of the NBA Finals, a legend got his flowers — and he made sure the spotlight wasn't just about his legacy but about what’s right.

Former Warriors (and Mavericks, and Bucks, and Knicks) head coach Don Nelson was honored with the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award— and it was well deserved.

Let’s put it plainly: Nelson didn’t just coach in the NBA. What made him special wasn’t just the numbers — it was the style.

The vision.

The audacity.

He took chances. Ran small ball before it was fashionable. Created chaos on offense. And somehow made it all look... fun.

From the Run TMC days with Mullin, Hardaway, and Richmond to the We Believe Warriors who stunned Dallas in 2007, Nelson didn’t just coach basketball — he choreographed it.

He shaped the NBA. He reshaped it. Then he reinvented it again.

Let’s break it down:

• 31 seasons as an NBA head coach — longer than some players’ entire lives.

• 1,335 regular-season wins— the most in NBA history at the time of his retirement in 2010.

• Three-time NBA Coach of the Year— only Popovich and Pat Riley share that distinction.

• One of only two coaches in NBA history (alongside Lenny Wilkens) to win 250+ games with three different franchises.

  
  

He’s one of those basketball minds that saw what could be, not just what was.

He coached like a jazz musician. It wasn’t always orthodox, but it was genius.

So, yes — it was beautiful to see him receive the Chuck Daly Award, which celebrates excellence, integrity, and service to the game— three pillars that define Nelson’s entire career.

But here’s what elevated the moment: Don Nelson used his moment to protest.

He didn’t just thank the league, kiss a few babies, and walk off stage.

He wore Luka Dončić’s signature Jordan sneakers on stage— not for fashion, but for principle.

“I’m wearing Luka’s new shoes from Nike and I’m wearing them in protest for the trade from Dallas,” Nelson said.“I think it was a tremendous mistake by the Dallas franchise to trade him.”

Let that sink in.

In the middle of a prestigious lifetime achievement celebration — in front of the league that built him — Don Nelson stood ten toes down and used his moment to speak truth to power.

And if that isn't some old-school, no-nonsense Chuck Daly energy, I don’t know what is.

And let’s not gloss over the fact that this man coached the Mavericks for eight years. He knows the culture. He knows what a franchise player looks like.

So when he says trading Luka Dončić was a mistake, we’d be wise to listen.

Because here’s the thing: Don Nelson is 84 years old, living on a beach in Hawaii, probably smoking a cigar rolled from island leaves and sipping on rum with no chaser — he didn’t need to say anything.

But that’s who Don Nelson has always been. He’s going to coach, even if he’s not holding a clipboard.

And don’t get it twisted: Nelson’s fingerprints are all over the modern game.

Every team that runs five-out, every big that can shoot, every system that emphasizes spacing and movement — that’s Don Nelson DNA.

So yes, it was great to see him honored. But it was greater to see him use the spotlight to remind the league that principles still matter. That stars still matter. That Luka should still be in Dallas.

Salute to Coach Don Nelson. A basketball revolutionary. A truth-teller. A lifer.

And now, finally, officially, a lifetime achievement award recipient.