Hall of Fame NBA coach Rick Adelman, who ranks 10th in league history with 1,042 regular-season wins, has died at 79.
Rick Adelman, the Hall of Fame NBA coach whose teams were known for fluid offenses and sustained playoff success, died Monday at 79, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced.
A cause of death was not immediately disclosed. Adelman ranks 10th in NBA history with 1,042 regular-season coaching victories, compiled across 23 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Adelman finished his coaching career with a 1,042-749 regular-season record and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. Before moving to the bench, he played seven seasons in the NBA as a point guard after being drafted by the San Diego Rockets in 1968.
His first major coaching run came in Portland, where he took over during the 1988-89 season and guided a roster led by Clyde Drexler to NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992.
Adelman later became closely associated with one of the most memorable eras in Sacramento Kings history. Hired by the Kings in 1998, he led Sacramento to the playoffs in each of his eight seasons and took the franchise to the Western Conference Finals in 2002.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver honored Adelman on Monday, calling him “one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in the history of the NBA.”
“Following his NBA playing career, Rick turned to coaching where his leadership, innovation and genuine love for basketball left a lasting impression on generations of players and fellow coaches over his nearly 30-year run,” Silver said. “He was a brilliant strategist and teacher of the game, and an even better person.”
Adelman is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary Kay, their six children — including Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman — and 12 grandchildren.
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