Legendary NBA coach and Hall of Fame member Rick Adelman passed away at the age of 79, the NBA Coaches Association (NBCA) announced. The cause of death of the father of the current Denver Nuggets coach, David Adelman, has not yet been officially announced.
Adelman left an indelible mark on the strongest basketball league in the world, where he achieved 1,042 victories, which is the tenth-best coaching record in NBA history.
Only four coaches, Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan, and George Karl, led more matches and had a better success percentage than him.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the passing of former NBA player, head coach and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Adelman:
— NBA (@NBA) June 2, 2026
"Rick Adelman was one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in the history of the NBA. Following… pic.twitter.com/O8ciXfIg7R
During a rich career, Adelman twice took Portland to the grand NBA Finals, and from the bench, he also led Golden State, Houston, Minnesota, and Sacramento. Basketball fans in this region especially remember and appreciate him from the Kings era, when he led the famous generation from the bench whose leaders were Vlade Divac and Predrag Stojaković.
The Coaches Association, which awarded Adelman the “Chuck Daly” Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023, emphasized in a statement that Rick will be remembered not only as a great strategist and player, but also as a mentor to many in the basketball community. On the occasion of that award, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle stated that Adelman’s NBA career was marked by innovation, integrity, and excellence.
Before finding his true calling on the bench, Adelman played as a point guard for five different NBA teams from 1969 to 1975. From the Portland Trail Blazers, where he spent three playing seasons and later worked as an assistant and head coach, they said that Adelman was and remains one of the most influential figures in the history of this franchise.
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Source: Nova.rs; Photo: NBA.com



