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Don Nelson, one of the most legendary coaches in the history of the NBA and a five-time champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, has died at the age of 86.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Nelson had suffered a stroke three weeks ago and had been recently admitted to hospice.

A statement released by his family said he was surrounded by loved ones at the time of his passing: '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 read.

'Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.'

Nelson is best known for his career as a coach, where he held the record for the most wins in NBA history for a period of 12 years before being passed by former San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. He is one of only eleven coaches in NBA history to amass 1,000 wins in a career and is the greatest coach to never appear in an NBA Finals.

Prior to that, Nelson played 14 seasons in the NBA and was a key contributor to the championship winning Celtics teams of the late 1960s and 1970s.

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