Most Admired Woman

Michelle Obama returns to Dallas' Winspear to lead off star-filled speaker series

Michelle Obama will appear in Dallas on September 26.

Photo courtesy of ABC13

UPDATE: Single tickets will go on sale at 10 am Friday, August 30, the Winspear has announced. Tickets may be purchased online at www.attpac.org/hearhere, by phone at 214-880-0202, or in person at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Winspear Opera House Box Office at 2403 Flora Street.

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Former first lady Michelle Obama will return to Dallas for a one-night-only speaking engagement in the fall. The event will take place at 7:30 pm September 26 at the Winspear Opera House and will open the AT&T Performing Arts Center's 2019-2020 "hearhere" distinguished speaker series.

Obama, whose memoir, Becoming, sold more copies than any other book published in the United States in 2018, recently was named the most admired woman in the world in a poll conducted by online research firm YouGov. She last appeared in Dallas in December 2018, at a stop on her book tour, at the American Airlines Center. She spoke on the "hearhere" series at the Winspear in March 2018.

ATTPAC announced her new appearance in a release on July 22. Other speakers in the series will include renowned film director and actor Spike Lee, astronaut Scott Kelly, culinary expert Samin Nosrat, and science expert Neil deGrasse Tyson.

“Everyone in this season is preeminent in their field, and we’re excited to bring them to Dallas,” says Debbie Storey, president and CEO of AT&T Performing Arts Center, in a release. “All of these shows will be cerebral, inspiring, and fun.”

Current subscribers can renew their seats now through July 29. New subscriptions will go on sale at 10 am August 2. Five-show packages will range from $211.50 to $852.50. Tickets may be purchased online at www.attpac.org/hearhere, by telephone at 214-880-0202 or in person at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Winspear Opera House Box Office at 2403 Flora St.

Here's a closer look at the season, with descriptions provided by ATTPAC:

An Evening with Former First Lady Michelle Obama — 7:30 pm Thursday, September 26, 2019
Michelle Robinson Obama served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. As a transformative first lady, Obama launched and led four key initiatives: Let’s Move!, to address the challenge of childhood obesity; Joining Forces, to support veterans, service members, and their families; Reach Higher, to inspire young people to seek higher education; and Let Girls Learn, to help adolescent girls around the world go to school. Now a best-selling author, she and husband Barack Obama currently live in Washington, D.C., and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

Spike Lee — 8 pm Saturday, December 14, 2019
Oscar-award winning Spike Lee is a director, writer, actor, producer, author, and NYU Graduate Film tenured professor whose body of work continues to grow over the last three decades. Recent projects include BLACKkKLANSMAN, based on a true story by Ron Stallworth, an African-American police officer who infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan during the 1970s, which also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received the esteemed Prix de la Jeunesse Award. Lee’s filming of the play Pass Over, premiered at Sundance. He also directed all 10 episodes of the hit Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It, which will be returning for a second season. Spike has directed and produced more than 30 films since his first feature film, the independently produced She’s Gotta Have It, which also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986 and received the esteemed Prix de la Jeunesse Award.

Captain Scott Kelly — 7:30 pm Thursday, January 23, 2020
Captain Scott Kelly’s epic Year In Space, now a New York Times best-selling book, solidified his status as one of the greatest pioneers in history. In his acclaimed speech appearances, he now brings audiences to the edge of their seats with transcendent insights that inspire and challenge them to dream big, test the status quo, and “choose to do the hard things.” One of a select group of Americans who embody a defining moment in the nation’s history, he captivated the world and seized the imagination of millions during his record-breaking voyage — proving that the sky is not the limit when it comes to the potential of the human spirit.

Samin Nosrat — 8 pm Saturday, June 13, 2020
As an undergraduate studying English at UC Berkeley, Samin Nosrat took a detour into the kitchen at Chez Panisse restaurant that happily determined the course of her life and career. Since 2000, she pursued her twin passions of food and words with equal vigor, aiming to create work that inspires, creates community, and raises cultural, social, and environmental awareness. Her book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking is a New York Times bestseller, and also 2018 James Beard General Cookbook of the Year, 2018 Fortnum & Mason Debut Cookbook, 2018 IACP Cookbook of the Year, 2018 IACP Julia Child First Book Award, and Sunday Times Food Book of the Year 2017. A documentary series based on the book is now streaming on Netflix.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, “Delusions of Space Enthusiasts” — 7:30 pm Monday, June 22, 2020
Neil deGrasse Tyson earned his bachelor of arts degree in physics from Harvard and his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Columbia. Tyson's professional research interests are broad, but include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky Way. In addition to dozens of professional publications, Tyson has written and continues to write for the public. For five seasons, beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson appeared as the on-camera host of PBS-NOVA's program NOVA ScienceNOW, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe. During the summer of 2009 Tyson identified a stable of professional standup comedians to assist his effort in bringing science to commercial radio with the NSF-funded pilot program StarTalk. Now also a popular podcast, and a limited-run television series on the National Geographic channel, StarTalk combines celebrity guests with informative yet playful banter. The target audience is all those people who never thought they would, or could, like science.

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RIP Don

Don Nelson, legendary Dallas Mavericks head coach, dies at 86

Ronald Martinez /Allsport

Head Coach Don Nelson of the Dallas Mavericks points from the sidelines during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Reunion Arena in Dallas on April 5, 2001.

Former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday, August 9. He was 86.

Nelson’s family confirmed the death in a statement that did not say where he died or provide a cause.

“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,” the statement said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”

Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time coach of the year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, never winning a title.

Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.

“The league really hadn’t seen an offense like the one we were running, and the results were undeniable,” Nelson wrote in 2016 in The Players’ Tribune.

Nelson said that “without Red Auerbach teaching me the mechanics of running the fast break, none of it would have been possible. He deserves all the credit for Nellie Ball, and for how fast the game of basketball is played today.”

Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.

In Nelson’s second season, Milwaukee overcame a 29-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Atlanta 117-115 in regulation.

“I coached the team as though I was still playing for the Celtics, while implementing a few of my own strategies,” Nelson wrote. “I knew I wanted to play unconventional basketball and use speed to my advantage.”

His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the “Run TMC” era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.

Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.

In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.

Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his father as an assistant coach with the Mavericks in 1998, later became general manager and remained with the organization until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Don Nelson also developed Steve Nash into one of the NBA’s top point guards before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.

Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks Don and Donnie Nelson persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Dallas Mavericks Facebook

“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” current Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game."

At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs in one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. In his final season as a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry in 2009-10.

“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court,” Curry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”

Davis added: “When I think of Nellie, I’ll always think of the ‘We Believe’ team and our incredible run in 2007. He understood what made us go and made us believe we could beat anybody, ultimately helping us make history as the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series. That time in my life and career was truly special, and Nellie was a huge part of making it possible.”

Nelson retired as the NBA’s career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before close friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022.

Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association. Miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade, Nelson wore a pair of Doncic’s signature Jordan Brand sneakers to the awards ceremony. He called the trade a “tremendous mistake.”

Don Nelson was miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade Courtesy photo

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Nelson attended high school in Rock Island, Illinois, and averaged a double-double in college at Iowa. He spent his retirement years living on the Hawaiian island of Maui and owned several short-term rentals on the island.Dallas

Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont issued the following statement on the passing of Nelson:

“Don Nelson was a true original whose impact on the Dallas Mavericks and the game of basketball will endure for generations. Nellie helped transform this franchise, bringing an innovative spirit, a belief in doing things differently and, most importantly, a winning culture to Dallas. His influence can be seen throughout Mavericks history and across the NBA today.

“On behalf of the entire Mavericks organization, our thoughts are with Don’s family, friends, former players and coaches, and the many people whose lives he touched. We are grateful for all he gave to the Mavericks and to the game he loved.”

Read the Mavericks' tribute to Don Nelson at mavs.com/news/don-nelson-one-of-a-kind.

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Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this story.

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