The long-time lakeside home of the late Dallas Mavericks head coach Don Nelson is on the market for $5 million. The property was put up for sale shortly before his passing in August. Nelson, the Hall of Fame coach who led the Mavericks from 1997 to 2005 and was known for his unconventional 'Nellie Ball' style, made the Cedar Creek Lake estate a family gathering place for over two decades.
The estate is located on a protected cove within the gated Beachwood Estates community and comprises three separate residences on almost four acres. It can accommodate over 20 guests and features more than 100 feet of shoreline, a swimming pool, a private jetty, and a boathouse. Additionally, it includes a games room, a bar, two kitchens, and a lakeside gazebo. In total, six garage spaces are available, and short-term rentals are permitted.
The main residence and its features
When Nelson acquired the property, only two structures existed. He added the 4,762-square-foot main residence, which includes a four-car garage, four en-suite bedrooms, two kitchens, and two living areas with fireplaces. On the lower, yellow-painted level, the living room opens up with a large leather sofa surrounding a brick fireplace and a television. Windows line the exterior walls, while glass doors next to the seating area lead directly to the covered patio and the lake. Beyond this, the tiled floor extends into the kitchen, which features white cabinetry, a compact wooden island, and a round dining table.
The upper floor also boasts its own living areas, this time surrounded by light-blue painted walls. The living room has an almost identical layout to the downstairs, but under a higher, vaulted ceiling and with access to a balcony. The kitchen is also similar to the lower level, but offers a noticeably warmer design with wooden cabinets and wooden floors. The upper floor houses a spacious games room, which Nelson converted into a personal exhibition of his decades-long NBA career. Display cases and almost every available wall space are filled with photos, jerseys, basketballs, and other memorabilia from his playing and coaching career.
In the middle of the room, a table tennis table sits on a section of basketball hardwood flooring, while a pool table is located at the rear. A fully equipped bar, known as 'Nellie's Sports Grill', stretches across the other side, while a shuffleboard table and additional gaming areas surround the space. Nelson's memorabilia will be removed by the family after the sale, but the basketball flooring and game tables will remain as part of the furnished offering.
Further residences and outdoor areas
Immediately adjacent to the main house, the property's original A-frame residence is located along the pool terrace, adding another 2,389 square feet of living space. This separate residence comprises three bedrooms and two bathrooms, creating another fully independent accommodation for family or guests. Inside, the living room is characterised by a full-height glass wall that extends to the A-frame roofline, where angled skylights and upper window panes flood the room with light. A large sofa curves through the centre of the room, oriented towards the lake and a television mounted beside the stone fireplace.
Directly behind the sofa, a raised peninsula with three bar stools separates the living room from the kitchen. White cabinets surround stainless steel appliances, while a compact central island is equipped with a gas hob. In a separate area, the dining room walls are also lined with windows. In the centre stands a long wooden table, surrounded by eight upholstered chairs. In the hallway, the main bedroom features a four-poster bed beneath the room's high, sloping ceiling and opposite a massive stone fireplace.
The third and final structure is an approximately 400-square-foot guest house, located a little further from the previous residences. It features a private patio overlooking the grounds and an attached two-car garage. The main feature inside the guest house is the bunk room, which combines a double bed with a stacked bunk bed on the opposite wall, offering an open path through the centre of the room to the outdoor patio.
- —Price: $5 million
- —Location: Trinidad, Texas
- —Living space: 7,551 square feet
- —Plot size: 3.75 acres
For further information on this listing, please contact Sarah Melton of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty at smelton@briggsfreeman.com.
