On Monday, the NBA announced the passing of Rick Adelman, a former player and head coach who was recently enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Adelman was 79 years old. His time in the NBA included multiple stints with the Rockets franchise, both as a player and head coach.
“Rick Adelman was one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in the history of the NBA,” Adam Silver, league commissioner, said in a statement.
“Following his NBA playing career, Rick turned to coaching where his leadership, innovation, and genuine love for basketball left a lasting impression on generations of players and fellow coaches over his nearly 30-year run. He was a brilliant strategist and teacher of the game, and an even better person. I send my deepest condolences to Rick’s family and many friends throughout the league.”
Adelman was preceded in death by his son, R.J., a former Rockets assistant who died in 2018. Adelman’s other son, David, is now head coach of the Denver Nuggets.
As a franchise, the Rockets issued their own statement on Adelman’s passing. It reads:
The Houston Rockets and the Fertitta family mourn the passing of Rick Adelman, one of the most respected and influential figures in NBA history.
During his four seasons in Houston, Coach Adelman guided the Rockets with professionalism, integrity, and a deep commitment to the game. His role in leading the team during the 22-game winning streak in 2008 remains one of the most remarkable achievements in franchise history and will always be remembered by Rockets fans.
We extend our deepest condolences to Mary Kay, his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. His legacy will forever be a part of Rockets history and the fabric of the NBA.
Adelman was an NBA player from 1968 until 1975, including a stint with the San Diego Rockets in his first two seasons. Adelman played for five teams, averaging 7.7 points and 3.5 assists per game.
His Hall of Fame selection was based on success as a head coach. In that capacity, Adelman was known best as an innovator with free-flowing, motion offenses. As a coach, Adelman had the lead gig in Portland (1989-1994); Golden State (1995-1997); Sacramento (1999-2006); Houston (2007-2011); and Minnesota (2011-2014).
While Adelman never won an NBA title, his teams advanced deep into the playoffs many times, including the 1990 and 1992 NBA Finals with the Trail Blazers and the 2002 Western Conference finals with the Kings — which may have resulted in a championship if not for questionable officiating.
With the Rockets, Adelman went 193-135 (.588) over four seasons, giving him the fourth-most wins of any head coach in franchise history. (The top three are Rudy Tomjanovich, Mike D’Antoni, and Bill Fitch.) His .588 winning percentage ranks third, trailing D’Antoni and Kevin McHale.
Under Adelman’s watch, the Rockets had an historic 22-game winning streak in the 2007-08 season, and they won their first-round playoff series versus Portland in the 2008-09 season. That represented the franchise’s first series victory in the NBA playoffs in 12 years.
While the Rockets did not advance to the West finals in either season, that fate was largely out of Adelman’s control, as All-Star center Yao Ming had both seasons cut short due to serious foot injuries. Those injuries eventually forced Yao to retire much earlier than expected and pushed the Rockets into a rebuilding cycle, for which a veteran coach such as Adelman wasn’t an ideal fit.
Nonetheless, Adelman’s tenure with the Rockets should be remembered fondly, and he will forever be linked to Tomjanovich at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. With a 1,042-749 career record (.582), Adelman ranks among the top-10 coaches of all-time in NBA wins.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets mourn death of former head coach Rick Adelman
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
