During a transition period for Iowa Men's Basketball, a former Hawkeye and NBA legend received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. The Award is named after legendary NBA Head Coach Chuck Daly.
The Award is presented to coaches who follow Daly's standard of integrity, competitive excellence, and tireless promotion of the NBA.
A selection committee of former legendary NBA coaches and executives, including Phil Jackson, Joe Dumars, Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Bernie Bickerstaff, Billy Cunningham, Donnie Walsh, and Lenny Wilkens, annually determines the award recipient.
This year's recipient is former Hawkeye student-athlete and NBA legend, Don Nelson.
Congratulations to 𝐃𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧 on being named the recipient of the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award! 👏#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/DRwNH5pnpy
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) June 9, 2025
Don Nelson is a legendary former NBA head coach and an Iowa graduate. Nelson played for Iowa Men's Basketball from 1959-1962. After his Iowa career, the Chicago Zephyrs drafted Nelson with No. 17 overall pick n the 1962 NBA Draft.
In three seasons with the Hawkeyes, Nelson averaged 21.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He was named an All-Big Ten Team selection, Iowa's Most Valuable Player, and was a two-time All-American.
Nelson was known for his time with the Boston Celtics during his NBA playing career. He played 465 consecutive games and was crucial to five Celtics championships (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, and 1976).
He began his NBA coaching career in 1976 with the Milwaukee Bucks and coached the Bucks for 11 seasons. During his tenure, the Bucks won seven consecutive division titles.
Nelson became famous for his up-tempo offense and it was affectionately known as "Nellie Ball."
In 1988, Nelson became the head coach and general manger of the Golden State Warriors. He coached the Warriors for seven seasons and guided them to four playoff appearances.
in 1995, he was named the head coach of the Knicks, and later became the head coach and general manager of the Dallas Mavericks. Nelson guided the Mavericks to four consecutive 50-win seasons and was responsible for drafting Hall of Fame forward, Dirk Nowitzki.
Nelson served a second stint as the Warriors' head coach from 2006 to 2010 and retired after the 2010 season.
In a statement following his nomination, Nelson said had high praise for Chuck Daly.
"Chuck certainly had a lasting impact on my coaching philosophy, style, and most importantly, how I managed personalities on the roster"Don Nelson, NBA Hall of Fame