 Adelman with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1970 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 16, 1946 Lynwood, California, U.S. |
| Died | June 1, 2026 (aged 79) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Pius X (Downey, California) |
| College | Loyola Marymount (1965–1968) |
| NBA draft | 1968 / Round: 7 / Pick: 79th overall |
| Selected by the San Diego Rockets | |
| Playing career | 1968–1975 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 12, 21, 5 |
| Coaching career | 1977–2014 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1968–1970 | San Diego Rockets |
| 1970–1973 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1973–1974 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1974–1975 | New Orleans Jazz |
| 1975 | Kansas City-Omaha Kings |
| As coach: | |
| 1977–1983 | Chemeketa CC |
| 1983–1989 | Portland Trail Blazers (assistant) |
| 1989–1994 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1995–1997 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1999–2006 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2007–2011 | Houston Rockets |
| 2011–2014 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach: | |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 3,579 (7.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,129 (2.4 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,606 (3.5 apg) |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as coach | |
Richard Leonard Adelman (June 16, 1946 – June 1, 2026) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Adelman was head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Adelman was honored into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
As an NBA coach he won 1,042 games, which at the time of his death was 10th most in league history. He never won a title, but led many of his teams to deep runs in the playoffs.
Adelman was born in Lynwood, California. He studied at Loyola Marymount University.
Adelman died on June 1, 2026, 15 days before his 80th birthday.
