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orangedays · 03-31-2006, 02:21 PM

Nelson denied Hall of Fame membership
By ART GARCIA
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

Don Nelson will have to wait for the Hall of Fame.

Despite owning the second-most wins in NBA history, the former Mavericks coach won’t be part of the newest class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The latest class will be announced Monday from Indianapolis before the NCAA men’s national championship game. According to a source, Nelson didn’t receive the 18 votes needed from the 24-member Honors Committee.

One year into his retirement, Nelson was named one of 16 finalists for the Hall of Fame last month during the NBA's All-Star weekend in Houston.

Nelson, 65, has more than 42 years of NBA experience as a player, coach, general manager and consultant. He trails only Hall-of-Famer Lenny Wilkins in NBA victories with 1,190, including a franchise-record 339 wins with the Mavs.

Nelson is one of only two coaches in NBA history to record 250 victories with three different teams and won the coach of the year award three times. He coached the second Dream Team to gold in the 1994 World Championships, won five NBA titles as a player in Boston and had his No. 19 jersey retired by the Celtics.

Nelson’s influence goes beyond resurrecting the fortunes of Milwaukee, Golden State and, most recently, the Mavs. As a select member of the NBA's competition committee, Nelson helped draft the league’s first set of illegal defense rules.

His innovations included "tall ball," "small ball," and the point forward position, and Nelson was at the forefront of the league's international movement. With his keen eye for talent, he found gems late in the draft, such as Latrell Sprewell, Tim Hardaway and Josh Howard.

03-31-2006, 02:21 PM	#21
orangedays Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 2,938	Ah well... Nelson denied Hall of Fame membership By ART GARCIA STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER Don Nelson will have to wait for the Hall of Fame. Despite owning the second-most wins in NBA history, the former Mavericks coach won’t be part of the newest class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The latest class will be announced Monday from Indianapolis before the NCAA men’s national championship game. According to a source, Nelson didn’t receive the 18 votes needed from the 24-member Honors Committee. One year into his retirement, Nelson was named one of 16 finalists for the Hall of Fame last month during the NBA's All-Star weekend in Houston. Nelson, 65, has more than 42 years of NBA experience as a player, coach, general manager and consultant. He trails only Hall-of-Famer Lenny Wilkins in NBA victories with 1,190, including a franchise-record 339 wins with the Mavs. Nelson is one of only two coaches in NBA history to record 250 victories with three different teams and won the coach of the year award three times. He coached the second Dream Team to gold in the 1994 World Championships, won five NBA titles as a player in Boston and had his No. 19 jersey retired by the Celtics. Nelson’s influence goes beyond resurrecting the fortunes of Milwaukee, Golden State and, most recently, the Mavs. As a select member of the NBA's competition committee, Nelson helped draft the league’s first set of illegal defense rules. His innovations included "tall ball," "small ball," and the point forward position, and Nelson was at the forefront of the league's international movement. With his keen eye for talent, he found gems late in the draft, such as Latrell Sprewell, Tim Hardaway and Josh Howard. Last edited by orangedays; 03-31-2006 at 02:22 PM.