After 23 seasons as a head coach in the NBA, Rick Adelman of the Minnesota Timberwolves has decided to call it a career according to NBA.com:
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Rick Adelman today announced his retirement from coaching in the NBA after 23 seasons as a head coach. Adelman will remain with the Wolves in a consultant role.
Although Adelman’s stint in Minnesota will be considered a disappointment, the longtime head coach had his fair share of success around the league. Adelman will likely be remembered most for his time with the Portland Trail Blazers (1989-94) and Sacramento Kings (1999-2006).
Adelman helped Clyde Drexler‘s Blazers become a force to be reckoned with in the early 1990s, leading the team to two NBA Finals appearances. Unfortunately, the Blazers fell to the Detroit Pistons in 1990 and to Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls in 1992. Even though the Blazers were never able to win a title, Adelman played a pivotal role in the team’s success before moving onto the Golden State Warriors (1995-97) and then to the Kings.
Adelman’s Kings turned out to be a thorn in the sides of the Los Angeles Lakers during their championship runs in the Kobe-Shaq era. Many would agree that the Lakers’ toughest opponents during their three-peat campaign were the Kings. Chris Webber and company took the Lakers to the brink of elimination more than once during the playoffs and were arguably the biggest rival of the storied franchise during that era.
In 23 seasons in the NBA, Adelman steps away from the game with an impressive record of 1042-749. Adelman finishes eighth all-time on the NBA’s list of most wins by a head coach.