What is Don Nelson's net worth? Looking at fortune amassed by 5x NBA champion who is stepping up to help Lahaina fire victims

Don Nelson, a five-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, is reportedly worth $70 million. Nelson retired from coaching after the 2009-10 season when the Golden State Warriors were bought by current team owner Joe Lacob.

Details of what Nelson earned both as a player and coach are undisclosed. But as someone who worked in the NBA for nearly five decades, he had more than enough to become a businessman when he quit basketball.

Once he gave up professional basketball for good, he quickly moved to Maui in Hawaii. “Nellie” engaged in real estate, eventually owning multiple short-term rentals in the said location.

On the Western side of the island, a fire broke out, one that is considered the deadliest in the United States in a century. At least 99 people died and many more were left with food and shelter in the town of Lahaina.

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, the three-time NBA Coach of the Year winner said:

“We’re doing the best we can, but we only have space for about 24 people. There are thousands of people homeless right now. It’s overwhelming.”

Don Nelson owns a ranch farm in Maui that is reportedly around 700 acres. He has another residence, albeit a much smaller one, in Atherton, California.

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Don Nelson recently shared an interesting Gregg Popovich story with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina

The author of “Nellie Ball,” which has largely defined the NBA over the last decade, shared some never-before-heard stories with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina.

One such riveting story was how he helped current San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich get the GM job with the team.

Don Nelson had this to say about “Pop” starting his legendary career in San Antonio:

“San Antonio wanted to hire him [Popovich] as a general manager. So I encouraged him to go down and check it out. He came back and said, ‘They offered me the job!'

"I asked him, 'What did they offer you?' He told me the numbers. I said, ‘Pop, that’s very nice. But go back and ask them if they would increase your pay by $50,000 in year one because that’s going to add $50,000 a year to a five-year contract. That’s enough for you to buy a house!’ He said, 'Oh, I don’t know if I could do that, Coach.’"

“Nellie” added:

"So he went back and said, ‘I would love to come, but would you mind adding $50,000 at the beginning and extend it through the contract?’ They just said, 'Okay.’ (laughs). That was enough for him to buy his first house and he went on from there.”

Gregg Popovich was on Don Nelson’s staff with the Golden State Warriors when the Spurs came calling. The already three-time Coach of the Year winner never hesitated to give his close friend and protege a chance to call the shots of another franchise.

“Pop” has been with the Spurs since then and eventually overtook Don Nelson on March 11, 2022, for most career regular-season wins. Popovich is also now the highest-paid coach in the NBA after signing a five-year deal that is reportedly worth more than $80 million.