Rick Adelman, a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee who played for seven NBA seasons before becoming one of the game’s winningest coaches, has died, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced Monday.
Adelman, the father of Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman, was 79. The cause of death was not immediately announced.
Adelman won 1,042 games as an NBA coach, 10th in league history. Only four coaches — Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan and George Karl — coached more games and had a better winning percentage than Adelman, who took the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals twice and also coached the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors.
“Adelman will be remembered not only as a coach and a player, but also as a mentor to so many in the basketball community,” read a statement from the NBCA, which honored Adelman with its Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.
“Rick Adelman’s NBA coaching career has been highlighted by innovation, integrity and excellence,” Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said when the NBCA presented that award three years ago. “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.”
Adelman played in the NBA from 1969 through 1975 as a point guard for five teams — but found his calling as a coach.
The Kings, in paying tribute, said 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.”