Overview

• Nelson accepted the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association before Game 2 of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City.
• The 85-year-old Hall of Famer arrived in Dončić’s new Jordan Brand sneakers as a silent protest against Dallas’s decision to trade the five-time All-NBA guard.
• He cited Red Auerbach’s star-retention philosophy and described the Mavericks’ deal sending Dončić to the Lakers for Anthony Davis as a tremendous mistake.
• Nelson coached Dallas from 1997 to 2005, ranks second in all-time NBA coaching wins with 1,335 victories, and credited his player-keeping approach to lessons learned during his Celtics playing career.
• Dončić acknowledged Nelson’s gesture by posting “Congratulations Coach! Nice shoes!” on his Instagram story.