Legendary NBA player and coach Rick Adelman has died at the age of 79, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced on Monday. No cause of death was provided. “Adelman will be remembered not only as a coach and a player, but also as a mentor to so many in the basketball community,” the NBCA wrote on X. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Adelman family during this difficult time. The Hall of Famer began his seven-year career as a player with the San Diego Rockets as their 79th overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft. He also had stints with the Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Jazz, and Kansas City-Omaha Kings before pivoting to coaching. He began the second phase of his career at Chemeketa Community College in Oregon. Trail Blazers coach Jack Ramsay, who was keeping tabs on him, tapped Adelman to work with the Trail Blazers. He stayed with the team for six years, leading them to the NBA Finals twice. He then coached the Golden State Warriors for a brief period before spending 10 years with the Sacramento Kings between 1998 and 2008. Adelman also coached the Houston Rockets, where he led the team to a 22-game winning streak—the fourth longest in NBA history. He finished his coaching career as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves before retiring in 2014, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. Adelman is survived by his wife, Mary Kay, their six children, and 12 grandchildren.
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