What happened?
The Sacramento Kings are mourning the loss of former coach Rick Adelman, who died at 79. Adelman won 1,402 games as an NBA coach, which is the 10th-most in league history.
Coaching Career
He served as a head coach for 23 of his 29 seasons, leading the Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. The NBA Coaches Association highlighted Adelman's accomplishments, including his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Recent Form
The Sacramento Kings' last result was a 108-114 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on 2025-03-23. Their recent form is 0W-0D-2L, with losses in their last two games.
Legacy
Adelman will be remembered not only as a coach and a player but also as a mentor to many in the basketball community. He is the father of Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman. The NBA Coaches Association wrote on X, "Rick was a husband to Mary Kay for 56 years; father to Kathy, RJ, Laura, David, Caitlin, and Patrick; and a grandfather of twelve."
| Date | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-23 | Milwaukee Bucks | 108-114 |
The Sacramento Kings organization did not renew Adelman's contract after the 2005-06 season. He became the Rockets' coach on May 18, 2007, and led the team to a 22-game winning streak in 2008. Adelman recorded his 1,000th victory against the Pistons on April 6, 2013, becoming the eighth NBA coach to achieve that accomplishment.
Impact
Adelman's impact on basketball and the community will be remembered for years to come. He played seven seasons for five different teams, including the San Diego Rockets, Trail Blazers, Bulls, New Orleans Jazz, and Kansas City-Omaha Kings. The NBA Coaches Association said, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Adelman family during this difficult time.