Rookie head coach David Adelman continues to fill out his first Denver Nuggets coaching staff, and he’s added another successful person to the team.

The son of longtime San Antonio Spurs executive R.C. Buford, Chase Buford, has left his job working under Bill Self with the Kansas Jayhawks to relocate to Colorado. The younger Buford has a colorful and decorated past full of championships and memorable moments.

Chase was a member of the Jayhawks’ 2008 national championship team as a player and, at 36, has now won rings as a coach too. Buford led the Sydney Kings to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023 in Australia’s National Basketball League.

During Game 2 of the 2022 Grand Final series, Buford was ejected, fined and suspended for a wild tirade, which resulted in him kicking through an LED advertising board near the court. The anger came after what Buford thought was a missed eight-second call.

A news article from the time described the kick as such.

Buford was incensed at the call and exploded, yelling ‘Holy…’, before physically lashing out and kicking the electronic advertising hoarding on the sideline.

His kick was so lethal it put a hole in the LED screen, which had to be repaired by an attendant.

The 33-year-old American was fuming and had to be restrained by Kings assistant coach Kevin Lisch.

Commentator Jack Heverin said on ESPN: “Chase Buford is headless!

“Might be an invoice heading Chase Buford’s way. You break it you own it.”

Corey ‘Homicide’ Williams said: “Coach Buford lost the plot.”

His team won that game en route to the title.

That incident came just weeks after he was fined $10,000 for name-dropping a referee he hoped wouldn’t be utilized in his team’s playoff games.

And that wasn’t even the first time he name-dropped a referee or made big news for losing his cool.

Back in 2020, when he was coach of the G League’s Wisconsin Herd, he had an epic rant.

“That was as unprofessional as an officiating performance … I hope you tweet this out and tag the league, because that was embarrassing. [Referee] Matt Rafferty is a f—ing clown,” Buford said. “That being said, we have to be so much better at the end of games. We can’t blow a 21-point lead with 12 minutes to go.

“However bad and biased and unfair and illegal and cheating the referees are, we have to be better at closing games. So that’s the way I feel.”

Buford apologized for the rant later that night and was suspended for two games for his comments. At the time, just before the COVID lockouts, his team had the best record in the league.

Early candidate for coaching rant of the year! Wisconsin Herd Head Coach Chase Buford after his team saw a 21-point lead disappear in the 4th quarter vs. Grand Rapids. And because he asked: @nbagleague pic.twitter.com/cw5t1lMSKI

— Ryan Rodig (@ryanrodig) February 24, 2020

While Buford might seem like too much of a hot head for some, the success that has followed him and his basketball knowledge is clearly top-notch. And some of his players adore how he fights for them.

“Everyone’s got a different opinion on his personality, some enjoyed his passion and at times over the top antics, some didn’t,” Former NBA player and Australian Andrew Bogut shared when he advocated for his team to re-hire Buford.

“I think it’s a mix, obviously kicking LED signs and stuff is not ideal, and that’s where it goes too far, but look, I’d always take the side of someone who’s passionate and overly passionate and sometimes has to be reined back than someone who’s not, right?

“He was passionate, yes, he overstepped the mark numerous times and I think he’d be the first one to tell you that. But he was worth the price of admission on coaching alone and just watching him on the sideline, right? He’s passionate, he’s engaged, he’s in the refs, he’s in the crowd.

“Maybe that’s what the Bullets need right now.”

Buford joins Mike Moser, another younger hire, as the most recent addition made by Adelman. They make up a team that consists of new hires Jared Dudley, J.J. Barea and Rodney Billups as well as the returning Andrew Munson, Ognjen Stojakovic, Elvis Valcarcel and John Beckett.