The basketball world is mourning the loss of Rick Adelman, a Basketball Hall of Fame coach who passed away at age 79, according to an announcement Monday from the National Basketball Coaches Association.
Adelman, whose son David Adelman currently coaches the Denver Nuggets, accumulated 1,042 victories during his NBA coaching career, ranking him 10th all-time in league history. No cause of death was immediately released.
His impressive coaching record places him among elite company – only four other coaches have managed more games while maintaining a superior winning percentage compared to Adelman. Those coaches are Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan and George Karl. During his career, Adelman guided the Portland Trail Blazers to two NBA Finals appearances and served as head coach for teams in Sacramento, Houston, Minnesota and Golden State.
The coaches’ association, which presented Adelman with its Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023, released a tribute statement saying: “Adelman will be remembered not only as a coach and a player, but also as a mentor to so many in the basketball community.”
When the award was presented three years ago, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle praised Adelman’s impact, stating: “Rick Adelman’s NBA coaching career has been highlighted by innovation, integrity and excellence. His teams always played to their strengths, and Rick always found subtle ways to reinvent NBA basketball to help his players thrive. His quiet, unassuming nature belies his impact as one of the great NBA coaches of all time.”
Before his coaching success, Adelman spent six seasons as an NBA player from 1969 to 1975, serving as a point guard for five different franchises. However, he discovered his true passion behind the bench.
In their tribute, the Kings organization noted 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.”
Adelman’s journey to NBA coaching began unexpectedly. Initially planning to coach at the high school level, he found his lack of experience challenging. Instead, he launched his coaching career at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.
During his Hall of Fame induction speech, Adelman recalled: “We had great success there. The one thing I did not realize is Jack Ramsey was following my team.”
Ramsey, who was leading the Portland Trail Blazers at the time, brought Adelman in for an interview when a coaching position became available. Adelman spent three seasons under Ramsey’s guidance, followed by 2 1/2 additional seasons working with Mike Schuler. He stepped into the interim head coach role with 35 games remaining in the 1988-89 season.
Reflecting on that period in 2021, Adelman said: “We had a team that was ready to win.”
Blazers owner Paul Allen gave Adelman the opportunity to coach the full 1989-90 season, launching a remarkable coaching journey. Portland achieved 59 victories that year behind stars Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey and Buck Williams, advancing to the NBA Finals before losing to Detroit.
This success propelled Adelman forward. He returned to the NBA Finals with the Blazers two seasons later, this time falling to Chicago. Following his Portland tenure, Adelman spent two years coaching at Golden State before moving to Sacramento, where he compiled eight consecutive winning seasons during an eight-year period. His Sacramento teams featured notable players including Vlade Divac, Peja Stojaković, Mike Bibby, Chris Webber, Jason Williams, Bobby Jackson and current Kings coach Doug Christie.
Throughout his coaching career, Adelman worked with 210 different players who appeared in at least one NBA game under his guidance.
Veteran guard Kyle Lowry, who played for 20 seasons, shared his appreciation Monday night: “He actually challenged me and poured into trusting me. That was important for me. He didn’t have to. He could have done everything else, he could have played other players, but he believed in me. … He just trusted his players. He just wanted to win. And if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what career I would have. It’s a sad day.”
