Hall of Fame head coach Rick Adelman, who led the Portland Trail Blazers to two NBA Finals and whose 1,042 regular-season wins ranked 10th in league history, has died at the age of 79, the National Basketball Coaches Association and Sacramento Kings announced Monday.
Adelman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 after serving as the head coach of the Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Kings, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Southern California native was also a seventh-round draft pick out of Loyola Marymount University by the San Diego Rockets in 1968 and played seven NBA seasons for the Rockets, Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Jazz and Kansas City-Omaha Kings.
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Adelman’s best teams were in Portland and Sacramento. He is the last Trail Blazers head coach to lead the franchise to the NBA Finals, winning the Western Conference in 1990 and 1992 while coaching Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler and All-Stars such as Terry Porter, Kevin Duckworth and Clifford Robinson. Adelman was first hired as an assistant under Jack Ramsay’s Trail Blazers in 1983 and took over as head coach from Mike Schuler in the middle of the 1988-89 season. The Trail Blazers made the playoffs in each of Adelman’s six seasons as head coach.
“A very smart coach, but the thing I remember the most about him was just the quality of human he was,” said Danny Ainge, who played two seasons under Adelman in Portland. “First and foremost, he was a good person, a good man. He had experience as a player, and as a coach, he understood what playing was, but he was just a really good human being that everyone respected.”
After two seasons as the head coach of the Warriors from 1996 to 1997, Adelman was hired as the head coach of the Kings for the 1998-99 season. His arrival coincided with the additions of Hall of Famers Chris Webber and Vlade Divac, and All-Star Peja Stojaković, along with the drafting of point guard Jason Williams, who was later traded for Mike Bibby. Current Kings head coach Doug Christie arrived in 2000 to help round out the lineup. Adelman took a franchise that only made the playoffs twice in the first 13 years the Kings were in Sacramento to the postseason in each of his eight seasons, culminating with a 61-21 2001-02 season that saw Sacramento take the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference finals.
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Adelman’s Kings pushed the pace more than any team in the NBA upon his arrival, helping wake up a league that had ground to a halt at the turn of the century.
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In the 20 seasons since Adelman left Sacramento in 2006, the Kings have only made the playoffs once and have had 13 head coaches.
“The Sacramento Kings organization is deeply saddened by the passing of Rick Adelman, a beloved coach whose leadership, character, and vision helped define an era of Kings basketball that inspired our city and captivated fans around the world,” the Kings said in a statement. “During his eight seasons in Sacramento, he led the team to unprecedented success and helped create some of the most memorable moments in franchise history. For an entire generation of Kings fans, Coach Adelman represented the very best of Sacramento basketball, and he will be remembered for the way he inspired those around him – with humility, integrity, kindness, and an unwavering belief in the power of teamwork. His leadership helped establish a culture that continues to resonate throughout our organization today.
“Our thoughts are with Mary Kay, his family, friends, former players, and all who loved him.”
Adelman’s final playoff appearances came with the Rockets in 2008 and 2009, a run that included a 22-game winning streak in 2008. His final coaching assignments came with the Timberwolves from 2011 to 2014. In his 23-year coaching career, Adelman had a 1,042-749 regular-season record.
Adelman was preceded in death by his son, R.J., a former assistant with the Rockets, who died in 2018. Adelman’s son David is currently the head coach of the Denver Nuggets.
“Rick Adelman was one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in the history of the NBA,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “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. He was a brilliant strategist and teacher of the game, and an even better person. I send my deepest condolences to Rick’s family and many friends throughout the league.”
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On Monday, the Trail Blazers shared a statement about Adelman, whose 291 regular-season wins remain third in team history.
“The Portland Trail Blazers organization is deeply saddened by the passing of Rick Adelman, a franchise legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer. Rick was one of the most influential figures in franchise history, a member of the inaugural 1970 team and integral coach throughout the 80s and 90s, guiding the team to Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992. Rick’s basketball brilliance helped shape multiple eras of Trail Blazers basketball, earning the respect and admiration of the basketball community and cementing his legacy. His thoughtful leadership, integrity, and kindness impacted all those around him on and off the court. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the entire Adelman family, and all those in the world of basketball who were touched by his impact.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with whom Adelman coached the final three seasons of his career, released a statement expressing their respects for their former coach’s passing.
“Adelman served as head coach of the Timberwolves from 2011-14 and exemplified leadership, integrity and professionalism throughout his distinguished career. Serving as head coach for five teams over 23 NBA seasons, he became one of the game’s most respected and accomplished leaders, finishing 10th on the league’s all-time wins list. Adelman made a lasting impact on our organization, his players and the game of basketball. We extend our heartfelt condolences to wife Mary Kay, the Adelman family and all who had the privilege of knowing him.”