The NBA world suffered a blow on Monday after the passing of former player and coach Rick Adelman at age 79. After NBA Commissioner Adam Silver offered his condolences, the Denver Nuggets were one of the first organizations to follow suit.

The Nuggets are coached by Rick's son, David.

“The Denver Nuggets were extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Fame Head Coach Rick Adelman. Our thoughts are with Head Coach David Adelman, the entire Adelman family and the many friends and loved ones that were lucky enough to know Rick.

For nearly a quarter of a century Coach Adelman was one of the most successful and innovative coaches the NBA has ever seen, and his contributions to the game can still be seen today. His 1,042 career wins ranks 10th all-time, while the amount of people he impacted throughout his incredible life is immeasurable.”

Adelman played in the NBA from 1968 to 1975 for various teams. Among them are the San Diego Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Jazz, and Sacramento Kings.

Afterward, Adelman coached in the NBA from 1983 to 2014. His most notable tenure was with the Portland Trail Blazers from 1989 to 1994. During that time, Adelman led the Trail Blazers to two NBA Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992.

Meanwhile, David has been the head coach of the Nuggets since 2025. He was an assistant coach with Denver from 2017 to 2025. Previously, he was an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Rick is survived by his wife, Mary Kay Adelman. His other son, Richard “R.J.” Adelman, was killed in an auto-pedestrian accident in 2018 at age 44.