Rick Adelman, a Hall of Fame basketball coach known for his nearly 30-year NBA career, died on June 1 at age 79 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. He ranks 10th all-time with 1,042 NBA regular-season coaching wins [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].

Adelman coached the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves during his career [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. He led the Blazers to two NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992, losing to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls respectively [1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9]. From 1998 to 2006, he coached the Sacramento Kings, making the playoffs every season and reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2002 [4, 5, 7, 9].

In 2006, Adelman became head coach of the Houston Rockets. During the 2007-08 season, his Rockets won 22 consecutive games, the fourth longest streak in NBA history [1, 2, 6, 7, 9]. He was known for innovative offensive schemes, including popularizing the Princeton offense with the Kings [1, 7, 9]. Adelman coached over 210 NBA players throughout his career [6, 7].

Before coaching, Adelman played seven NBA seasons as a point guard from 1969 to 1975 [3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9]. He began his coaching career at Chemeketa Community College in Oregon before joining the Portland Trail Blazers staff [3, 4, 7].

Adelman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 [1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9] and received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association in 2023 [1, 2, 3, 6, 7]. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Adelman "a brilliant strategist and teacher of the game, and an even better person," and expressed condolences to his family and friends [4].

Kyle Lowry credited Adelman’s trust and challenges as vital to his career, saying, "Without him, I really don't know where my career would be. This is a very sad day" [6]. Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, "His quiet, unassuming nature belies his impact as one of the great NBA coaches of all time" [3].

Adelman’s exact cause of death has not been disclosed [3, 5, 7, 8]. He is survived by his son David Adelman, head coach of the Denver Nuggets [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].