NBA mourns
Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman dies at 79
June 2, 2026 – 7:54 a.mReading time: 1 min.
He led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals twice. Now the well-known trainer Rick Adelman has died at the age of 79.
The NBA Coaches Association, NBCA, has announced the death of Rick Adelman at the age of 79. The Hall of Famer won 1,042 games in 23 seasons as a head coach and led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals twice.
With 1,042 wins, Adelman ranks 10th on the NBA’s all-time list. Portland lost in the finals in 1990 to Detroit and in 1992 to the Chicago Bulls around Michael Jordan. He last spent time on the sidelines with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. The NBCA did not comment further on the exact circumstances of his death.
In addition to Portland, Adelman also coached the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. His son David is now head coach of the Denver Nuggets.
Many of his former clubs remembered him on social media. The Sacramento Kings said Monday: “The Sacramento Kings are deeply saddened by the passing of Rick Adelman, whose leadership, character and vision defined an era of Kings basketball that inspired our city and thrilled fans around the world.”