Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman dies at 79

Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Adelman has died at the age of 79, the NBA Coaches Association announced on Monday. The league confirmed the passing of the legendary coach, who is survived by his wife, Mary Kay, and his son, David, the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. Adelman was preceded in death by his other son, R.J., a former Houston Rockets assistant coach who died in 2018.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement describing Adelman as one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in the history of the sport. Silver highlighted Adelman’s leadership, innovation, and strategic acumen, noting that his genuine love for basketball left a lasting impression on generations of players and fellow coaches over his nearly 30-year coaching tenure.

Adelman accumulated 1,042 regular-season victories, ranking 10th in NBA history. His coaching career began in humble circumstances at Chemeketa Community College in Oregon before he joined the Portland Trail Blazers as an assistant in 1983. He was promoted to head coach in 1989 and led the team to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, though they lost both series to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls respectively.

Following his tenure in Portland, Adelman coached the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings. With the Kings, he pioneered an innovative motion offence built around the passing of Chris Webber and Vlade Divac, and the shooting of Peja Stojakovic, Doug Christie, and Mike Bibby. The team peaked in 2002 with 61 wins, pushing the Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Finals.

Adelman also coached the Houston Rockets, where he led the team to the second round of the 2009 playoffs despite the absence of key stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming for much of the series. He concluded his coaching career with three seasons in Minnesota. Adelman was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.