The Denver Nuggets have issued a statement on Monday regarding the passing of legendary coach David Adelman.
Adelman passed away at the age of 79 on June 1, 2026, as announced by the NBA Coaches Association. He was the father of current Nuggets coach David Adelman, who began his NBA coaching career in 2011 as one of his father’s assistant coaches with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Here’s the statement released by the Nuggets on NBA.com:
“The Denver Nuggets were extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Fame Head Coach Rick Adelman. Our thoughts are with Head Coach David Adelman, the entire Adelman family and the many friends and loved ones that were lucky enough to know Rick.
“For nearly a quarter of a century Coach Adelman was one of the most successful and innovative coaches the NBA has ever seen, and his contributions to the game can still be seen today. His 1,042 career wins ranks 10th all-time, while the amount of people he impacted throughout his incredible life is immeasurable.”
Rick had a seven-year career as a player from 1969 to 1975 before becoming an NBA head coach in 1989.
Rick Adelman’s NBA coaching career
After his playing career was over in 1975, Rick Adelman took a break from basketball before becoming the head coach of Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.
Adelman was in charge of Chemeketa CC from 1977 to 1983 before getting signed by his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, as an assistant to Jack Ramsay. He remained an assistant for Mike Schuler until the Blazers hired him to be their head coach in 1989.
In six seasons as head coach of the Blazers, Adelman guided them to the playoffs every season, including two NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992. They fell short both times against the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, respectively.
GettySacramento Kings’ forward Chris Webber (L), guard Mike Bibby (C) and coach Rick Adelman (R) go over a game plan during the last minutes of their NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers’ at ARCO Arena 20 March 2003 in Sacramento, California.
After taking a one-year hiatus, Adelman was hired to be the coach of the Golden State Warriors. He lasted just two seasons in the Bay Area, with the Warriors failing to make the playoffs both times.
Adelman took another one-year break before joining the Sacramento Kings in 1999. He revitalized the Kings franchise, though they fell short against the Los Angeles Lakers multiple times in the playoffs.
The Kings never missed the playoffs in eight seasons under Adelman. He also coached the Houston Rockets from 2007 to 2011 and the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2012 to 2014. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
David Adelman on His Father’s Most Valuable Lesson About Coaching
Speaking to The Athletic last year, David Adelman opened up about the influence of his father to his coaching after the Nuggets hired him to take over the team following Michael Malone’s firing.
David explained how his father’s approach to the players as his most valuable lesson.
“First and foremost, the most important thing in coaching is, how do you reach a player as a human being?” David said. “And how can you make them understand this is pure honesty that’s coming from you? If you are a good coach, you want what is best for them, because it’s best for the group.”
In his first full season in charge, the Nuggets had a 54-28 record. However, they came out flat in the playoffs and were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games.
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