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Basketball Hall of Famer Don Nelson dead at 86

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Don Nelson, a former NBA player and head coach who is in the Basketball Hall of Fame, has died, his family announced on Sunday. He was 86.

Nelson played in the NBA from 1963 to 1976 and was a head coach in the league from 1977 to 2010.

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“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,” his family said in a statement, via NBA writer Marc Stein. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”

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Nelson was a standout basketball player at Iowa before he was chosen in the third round of the 1962 NBA Draft by the Chicago Zephyrs. He played one season with the Zephyrs before moving on to the Los Angeles Lakers and later the Boston Celtics.

He spent more of his 14-year career with the Celtics. In 11 years with Boston, he was a member of five NBA championship teams. He averaged 11.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 872 games with Boston.

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Nelson went into coaching a year after he retired. He spent the 1976-77 season as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks before he was promoted to head coach in the 1976-77 season, replacing Larry Costello, who was let go after 18 games.

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He coached the Bucks until 1987. He then coached the Golden State Warriors in two separate stints, the Dallas Mavericks and 59 games for the New York Knicks. He was awarded the NBA Coach of the Year three times and appeared on two lists of the greatest coaches in NBA history.

Nelson was 1,335-1,063 as a head coach. He won 540 games as a head coach of the Bucks.

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Alex Eala getting Serena Williams ‘star status’ comparison from ex-Brit No. 1 leaves fans shocked: “Absolutely not”

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Former British pro Greg Rusedski’s comparison of Alex Eala’s newfound stardom rivaling that of Serena Williams left fans aghast. Eala was already pegged as a future superstar once she won the girls’ singles title at the US Open 2022.

The young Filipina made headlines with her wins over Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys en route to the semifinals of the Miami Open 2025. However, consistency evaded her for the rest of the season. She has remedied that this year with some incredible results.

Eala ousted defending champion Swiatek to reach the fourth round of a Major for the first time at Wimbledon. She then captured her maiden WTA title in Washington a fortnight ago, beating the likes of Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula along the way.

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The 21-year-old’s rapid rise has led to a massive congregation of fans from her home country coming out to cheer for her at every tournament. Her recent string of impressive results has increased her stature in general. Rusedski observed the same and commented about it on a recent episode of his podcast, Off Court with Greg. He compared Eala’s stardom to that of 23-time Major champion, Serena Williams.

“There’s only one other person that I can compare to her sort of star status. It’s Serena Williams,” Rusedski said.

Rusedski’s comments were shared on social media. Fans felt that he was jumping the gun by comparing Eala to Williams. They were quick to point out the same in the comments on Instagram.

“Let’s calm down,” wrote one fan.

“Only in the Phillipines lol,” commented another fan.

“I absolutely disagree. This is way too much hype,” stated a fan.

“Absolutely not comparable not even close,” opined another user.

“This is a stretch! A BIG one!” stated one fan.

“I’m a Filipino fan but I think not yet in there lets keep her going and winning some,” wrote one fan.

“I respectfully disagree. Serena, Sharapova, Kournikova, Gauff and Osaka got more hype than Eala but Alex is on her way,” stated another fan.

“Eala has a long way to go before she gets any real clout. There are plenty of other WTA stars in front of her,” commented one user.

Fans react to Greg Rusedski's comments on Alex Eala. (Source: Instagram)Fans react to Greg Rusedski's comments on Alex Eala. (Source: Instagram)
Fans react to Greg Rusedski’s comments on Alex Eala. (Source: Instagram)

Eala recently competed at the Canadian Open, where her second-round match had to be moved to a bigger stadium due to an increase in demand. Her campaign came to an end with a fourth-round loss to Belinda Bencic.


Alex Eala set to make her Cincinnati Open debut

Alex Eala at the Canadian Open 2026. (Source: Getty)Alex Eala at the Canadian Open 2026. (Source: Getty)
Alex Eala at the Canadian Open 2026. (Source: Getty)

Alex Eala carried the momentum from her title-winning run at the Mubadala DC Open to a fourth-round finish at the Canadian Open. She will aim to fine-tune her preparation for the US Open with another good showing at her upcoming tournament, the Cincinnati Open 2026.

This will be Eala’s main draw debut at the Cincinnati Open. She will be seeded 17th, and will receive a first-round bye. The tournament will take place from August 13-23.

Eala has performed quite well on hardcourts at the WTA 1000 level this year. She made the quarterfinals in Dubai, and reached the fourth round of the Indian Wells Open, the Miami Open, and the Canadian Open. She will aim to sustain this form in Cincinnati as well.

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