Rick Adelman, who led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals two times during the early 1990s and won more than 1,000 games during his 23-season coaching career, died on Monday. He was 79.

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The National Basketball Coaches Association announced Adelman’s passing, according to The Associated Press.

A cause of death was not immediately given, ESPN reported. Adelman had lived in the Portland area since retiring from coaching, The Oregonian reported.

Adelman, the father of current Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

He played for five teams during his seven-year professional career -- including with the Trail Blazers from 1970 to 1973 -- but Rick Adelman made his mark as a coach.

He won 1,042 career regular-season games — the 10th-most in league history — and added 157 playoff victories. He reached the NBA playoffs 16 times during his career.

“Rick was one of the most influential figures in franchise history,” the Trail Blazers said in a statement. “Rick’s basketball brilliance helped shape multiple eras of Trail Blazers basketball, earning the respect and admiration of the basketball community and cementing his legacy. His thoughtful leadership, integrity, and kindness impacted all those around him on and off the court.”

Only Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan and George Karl coached more NBA games and had a better winning percentage than Adelman, ESPN reported.

In addition to leading the Trail Blazers, Adelman also coached the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves, The Oregonian reported.

Portland reached the playoffs in all six of Adelman’s seasons, winning the Western Conference title in 1990 and 1992 before falling in the NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, respectively. He won 51 or more games four times with the Trail Blazers and notched a franchise record 63 wins during the 1990-91 season, according to the newspaper.

“Just an absolute gentleman, a prince of a guy,” said Clyde Drexler, a Hall of Fame inductee in 2004 player who developed into an All-Star under Adelman in Portland during the early 1990s.

“I have nothing but respect and admiration for Rick Adelman. He was one of my favorite coaches of all time,” Drexler told The Oregonian. And as good of a coach as he was, he was an even better person. Gone too soon.”

“He actually challenged me and poured into trusting me,” 20-year guard Kyle Lowry told ESPN. “That was important for me. He didn’t have to. He could have done everything else, he could have played other players, but he believed in me.

“He just trusted his players. He just wanted to win. And if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what career I would have. It’s a sad day.”

Buck Williams said that Adelman was able to communicate effectively without saying much.

“He managed to have so much control with so few words,” Williams told The Oregonian. “It was amazing to me. He wasn’t a big speech-giver and he wasn’t the kind of guy who called you into his office to tell you a big story about life.

“He had a blueprint to follow, he put you in the right position to succeed, and he held you accountable. But he was short on words. You trusted his words; they were incredible.”

While coaching Houston, Adelman helped the team to a 22-game winning streak in 2008, ESPN reported.

He engineered a 22-game winning streak with Houston in 2008.

“Coach Adelman guided the Rockets with professionalism, integrity, and a deep commitment to the game,” the Rockets said in a statement. “His role in leading the team during the 22-game winning streak in 2008 remains one of the most remarkable achievements in franchise history and will always be remembered by Rockets fans.”

Born on June 16, 1946, in Lynwood, California, Adelman got his start in coaching at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon in 1977, The Oregonian reported.

After six years at the junior college level, Adelman was hired as an assistant in 1983. He spent nearly six seasons as an assistant before he was named the Blazers’ interim head coach in 1989, according to the newspaper.

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