Rick Adelman Dies at 79, HOF Coach Ranks 10th in NBA History for Most Career Wins

Longtime NBA coach Rick Adelman died at the age of 79.

The National Basketball Coaches Association announced the news on Monday, adding, "our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Adelman family during this difficult time."

Adelman is 10th all-time in coaching wins with 1,042 and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

While Adelman is best known for his coaching career, he first played in the NBA from the 1968-69 season through the 1974-75 one. He suited up for the San Diego Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Jazz and Kansas City-Omaha Kings.

His best two seasons came in 1970-71 and 1971-72 when he played for Portland and averaged a combined 11.4 points, 4.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.

Yet he made the Hall of Fame as a coach.

Adelman started as an assistant in Portland for six years before he was given the head-coaching position for the team. He coached the Trail Blazers from 1988-89 through 1993-94, the Golden State Warriors from 1995-96 through 1996-97, the Sacramento Kings from 1998-99 through 2005-06, the Houston Rockets from 2007-08 through 2010-11, and the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2011-12 through 2013-14.

In all, his record was 1,042-749, and his teams made the playoffs in 16 of his 23 years.

Adelman led the Trail Blazers to the 1990 NBA Finals and 1992 NBA Finals only to lose to Isiah Thomas' Detroit Pistons the first time and Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls the second time.

All-time great players also prevented him from winning a ring with the Kings, as they lost to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers in seven games in a memorable 2002 Western Conference Finals.

Adelman remains the Kings' all-time leader in coaching wins with 395, and the franchise he is so closely associated with by many fans released a statement after his death.

"The Sacramento Kings organization is deeply saddened by the passing of Rick Adelman, a beloved coach whose leadership, character, and vision helped define an era of Kings basketball that inspired our city and captivated fans around the world. During his eight seasons in Sacramento, he led the team to unprecedented success and helped create some of the most memorable moments in franchise history. 

"For an entire generation of Kings fans, Coach Adelman represented the very best of Sacramento basketball, and he will be remembered for the way he inspired those around him—with humility, integrity, kindness, and an unwavering belief in the power of teamwork. His leadership helped establish a culture that continues to resonate throughout our organization today.

"Our thoughts are with Mary Kay, his family, friends, former players, and all who loved him."

Adelman was married to his wife, Mary Kay, for 56 years. They had six children together, and he was a grandfather of 12.