Legendary 1,000-win coach Rick Adelman has passed away at the age of 79.

The National Basketball Coaches Association announced on June 1 that Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Adelman had passed away at the age of 79. Adelman was the father of Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman. The specific cause of death has not yet been released.

Adelman achieved 1,042 wins in his NBA coaching career, ranking 10th in league history. He is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, surpassed only by Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan, and George Karl in both the number of games coached and winning percentage.

Adelman led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals twice and served as head coach for the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Golden State Warriors. In 2023, he was awarded the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised Adelman as an outstanding strategist, mentor, and role model. He played point guard for five NBA teams between 1969 and 1975, but his true achievements came from his coaching career.

Adelman's coaching career began at a community college before he was recruited into the NBA coaching staff by Portland Trail Blazers coach Jack Ramsey. In the 1989-90 season, he officially took charge of the Trail Blazers, leading them to 59 wins and a trip to the NBA Finals.

After that, Adelman coached the Sacramento Kings for eight years, leading the team to eight seasons with a winning percentage of over 50%. In 2008, he also led the Houston Rockets to the fourth-longest winning streak in NBA history with 22 consecutive wins.

Kyle Lowry, a former player under Adelman, stated that Adelman had immense trust in his players and that his guidance played a decisive role in his career. The Trail Blazers also acknowledged that Adelman, a player from the team's inaugural year in 1970 and a two-time NBA Finals champion, is one of the most influential key figures in the team's history.

Image source: Internet/NBA official website