Don Nelson, NBA coaching great and 5-time champion, dies at 86

"Don Nelson revolutionized NBA basketball through his fearlessness, ingenuity and deep conviction," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. Silver added that Nelson's "impact on our sport will continue to be felt for generations."

The Golden State Warriors called him "one of the most innovative and influential coaches in NBA history." The team said his "influence on the Warriors franchise will endure for years to come."

Current Warriors coach Steve Kerr described Nelson as "a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today." Kerr said Nelson "consistently challenged conventional thinking" and "saw possibilities in the game that others often did not."

Nelson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. He never reached the NBA Finals as a coach but is widely regarded as one of the game's most creative minds, pioneering small-ball lineups and positionless basketball.