Rick Adelman spent seven seasons in the NBA before becoming one of the winningest coaches in NBA history.
Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Rick Adelman, who spent seven seasons in the NBA and became one of the winningest coaches in basketball history, has died, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced Monday.
Adelman is the 79-year-old father of Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman. His cause of death was not immediately released.
“The Denver Nuggets are saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Fame head coach Rick Adelman,” the Nuggets said Monday night. “Our thoughts are with head coach David Adelman, the entire Adelman family and the many friends and loved ones who were fortunate enough to know Rick.”
Rick Adelman won 1,042 games as an NBA coach, ranking 10th in league history. Only four other coaches — Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan and George Karl — have coached more games and won more games than Adelman. Adelman led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals twice and served as head coach of Sacramento, Houston, Minnesota and the Golden State Warriors.
“Adelman will not only be remembered as a coach and player, but also as a mentor to many in the basketball community,” the Coaches Association, which presented Adelman with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023, wrote in a statement.
“Rick Adelman’s NBA coaching career was distinguished by innovation, integrity and excellence,” Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle said when NBCA presented the award three years ago. “His teams always played to their strengths, and Rick always found subtle ways to reshape NBA basketball and help his players thrive. His quiet, unassuming personality belied his impact as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.”
Adelman also played in the NBA as a point guard for five different teams from 1969 to 1975, but later found his calling as a coach.
The Kings said in their tribute that Adelman “will be remembered for the way he inspired those around him – with humility, integrity, kindness and an unwavering belief in the power of teamwork.”
As a coach, Adelman’s path to the NBA was unintentional.
He thought he would be a high school coach, although his lack of experience was a hindrance. He then began his coaching career at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.
“We had great success there,” Adelman said during his Hall of Fame induction speech. “One thing I didn’t realize was that Jack Ramsey was stalking my team.”
Ramsey was coaching the Portland Trail Blazers at the time, and when a position opened up on Adelman’s staff, he invited Adelman to interview. Adelman spent three seasons under Ramsey and another 2.5 seasons under Mike Schuler before taking over as interim coach with 35 games left in the 1988-89 season.
“We have a team that’s ready to win,” Adelman said in 2021.
Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen told Adelman he could coach the 1989-90 season. The rest is history. The Trail Blazers, led by Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey and Buck Williams, won 59 games that season and reached the NBA Finals, where they lost to Detroit.
Adelman started running. Two years later, he led the Trail Blazers back to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Chicago. After his time in Portland ended, Adelman coached for two years with the Golden State Warriors before going to Sacramento, where he had eight winning seasons over eight years, working with players like Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, Chris Webber, Jason Williams, Bobby Jackson and current Kings head coach Doug Christie. During his years in Sacramento, Adelman was widely praised for running some types of offenses the league had never seen.
“He’s a great strategist and teacher of the game and an even better person,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.
Adelman has 210 players play in at least one NBA game for him.
“He actually challenged me and grew to trust me,” 20-year-old guard Kyle Lowry said Monday night. “That’s what’s important to me. He doesn’t have to do this. He can do other things, he can play against other players, but he believes in me… He just trusts his players. He just wants to win. Without him, I don’t know what career I would have had. It’s a sad day.”
Adelman’s accomplishments include: In 2008, he led Houston to a 22-game winning streak, the fourth-longest winning streak in NBA history.
“Coach Adelman has guided the Rockets with professionalism, integrity and an unwavering commitment to the game,” the Rockets said in a press release. “His role in leading the team to 22 consecutive wins in 2008 remains one of the most notable achievements in franchise history and will forever be remembered by Rockets fans.”
The Trail Blazers pointed out that Adelman not only led the team to the Finals twice, but was also a player on the inaugural Portland team in 1970.
“Rick was one of the most influential figures in franchise history,” the Blazers said.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
