Rick Adelman, the coach who transformed the Sacramento Kings, dies at 79
Rick Adelman, the coach who led the Sacramento Kings to the brink of an NBA championship, died at the age of 79.
The NBA Coaches Association announced Adelman’s death on social media, tweeting: “The membership of the National Basketball Coaches Association joins the NBA family in mourning the passing of legendary Head Coach and Hall of Famer, Rick Adelman.”
Adelman coached the Kings from 1998-2006, amassing a record of 624-395 (.633) over eight seasons. He is the winningest coach in franchise history in terms of total wins and winning percentage.
Adelman led the Kings to eight consecutive playoff appearances, including a memorable run to the Western Conference finals in 2002. After winning a league-high 61 games during the regular season, the Kings lost a hotly contested and controversial seven-game series to the Los Angeles Lakers, who went on to sweep the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.
Adelman orchestrated a high-octane brand of basketball that made the Kings a global phenomenon dubbed “The Greatest Show on Court” on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2001. Adelman’s teams featured Jason Williams, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson, Peja Stojakovic, Chris Webber, Vlade Divac and Brad Miller.
Adelman was a star point guard at Loyola University in Los Angeles, now known as Loyola Marymount. The San Diego Rockets selected Adelman with the 79th overall pick in the seventh round of the 1968 NBA draft. He averaged 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists over seven seasons with the San Diego/Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Jazz and Kansas City Kings.
Adelman compiled a 1,042-749 (.582) record with 16 playoff appearances over 23 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Kings, Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He led the Blazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992.
Adelman was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. He was presented with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.
The Kings issued a statement shortly after Adelman’s death was announced.
“The Sacramento Kings organization is deeply saddened by the passing of Rick Adelman, a beloved coach whose leadership, character, and vision helped define an era of Kings basketball that inspired our city and captivated fans around the world,” the team said. “During his eight seasons in Sacramento, he led the team to unprecedented success and helped create some of the most memorable moments in franchise history.
“For an entire generation of Kings fans, Coach Adelman represented the very best of Sacramento basketball, and he will be remembered for the way he inspired those around him — with humility, integrity, kindness and an unwavering belief in the power of teamwork. His leadership helped establish a culture that continues to resonate throughout our organization today. Our thoughts are with Mary Kay, his family, friends, former players and all who loved him.”
Adelman and Webber were inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the same class in September 2021. Adelman spoke fondly of his years with the Kings and the players who made the words “Sacramento. Proud” reverberate throughout the community.
“What a great group,” Adelman said. “That team, people loved to watch play. They just took off not only in Sacramento, but across the country. They got on the front of Sports Illustrated and they were just the talk of the league.”
This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Rick Adelman, the coach who transformed the Sacramento Kings, dies at 79."
