Rick Adelman

Richard Leonard Adelman (June 16, 1946 – June 1, 2026) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Born in Lynwood, California, he was the son of Gladys (née Olsen) and Leonard Joseph "L. J." Adelman, North Dakotans who worked as teachers and farmers. He played high school basketball at Pius X High School in Downey, California, before attending Loyola University of Los Angeles, now Loyola Marymount University. In the 1968 NBA draft, the San Diego Rockets selected him in the seventh round, and he played two seasons in San Diego.

Adelman went on to coach 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association, serving as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. He won 1,042 games, which at the time of his death was the tenth-highest total in league history. He never won a championship but led many of his teams on deep playoff runs, including two trips to the NBA Finals with Portland. Adelman was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, as part of the class of 2021.