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Don Nelson’s wins record could be preserved because of NBA shutdown

On April 7, 2010, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves by nine points, marking a career milestone for then-head coach Don Nelson.

As folks in Minnesota’s Target Center responded with polite applause, Warriors players huddled around Nelson to celebrate his becoming the winningest coach in NBA history. Nelson had coached 31 years in the NBA, winning as many as 60 games a season and as few as 14. He would retire at the end of 2009-10 season with 1,335 career wins — a record that stands today.

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“I think it’s something that just happens if you’re in the league long enough and, if you’re able to get a bunch of wins, you got a shot at it,” Nelson said in a phone interview last week.