Rick Adelman, Hall of Fame NBA coach and 1,042-game winner, dies at 79
Rick Adelman, Hall of Fame NBA coach and 1,042-game winner, dies at 79
Rick Adelman, one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, died Monday at the age of 79. The National Basketball Coaches Association announced his passing; no cause of death was immediately disclosed. Adelman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Over 23 seasons as an NBA head coach, Adelman compiled a 1,042-749 regular-season record, ranking tenth on the all-time wins list. He led five franchises – the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves – building a reputation for offensive systems that consistently elevated his rosters. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described him as “one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in the history of the NBA” and credited him with leadership and innovation that left “a lasting impression on generations of players and fellow coaches.”
Adelman’s coaching career grew directly from his playing days. Selected by the San Diego Rockets in the 1968 NBA Draft, he spent seven seasons as a point guard before transitioning to the bench. His most decorated stretches came in Portland, where a Clyde Drexler-led squad reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, and in Sacramento, where the Kings advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 2002 and reached the playoffs in each of his eight seasons with the franchise.
Adelman is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary Kay, their six children – among them Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman – and 12 grandchildren.
