Hall of Fame Coach Rick Adelman Dies at 79
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Rick Adelman, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and one of the NBA’s winningest coaches, has died at age 79, the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) announced in a press release.
Adelman played seven seasons in the league before beginning his coaching career as a Portland Trail Blazers assistant. He was elevated to interim head coach during the 1988-89 season and guided the Clyde Drexler–led Blazers to NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992, plus another trip to the Western Conference Finals, over five full seasons at the helm.
After departing Portland following the 1993-94 campaign, Adelman spent two seasons with the Golden State Warriors, took a one-year hiatus, and then enjoyed eight consecutive playoff runs with the Sacramento Kings. His 2001-02 Kings reached the Western Conference Finals, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game series.
The coach later spent four seasons with the Houston Rockets and three with the Minnesota Timberwolves, concluding a 29-year bench career that placed him 10th on the NBA’s all-time coaching wins list. Adelman compiled a regular-season record of 1,042-749 (.582) and a postseason mark of 79-78 (.503), reaching the playoffs 16 times in 23 seasons.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021, Adelman received the NBCA’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. He was widely regarded as an offensive innovator, frequently running his systems through versatile, passing big men.
Adelman’s son, David Adelman, is currently the head coach of the Denver Nuggets.
Source: Hoops Rumors
