Rick Adelman passed away on June 1, 2026, at the age of 79. No cause of death was publicly released. Within hours, tributes came pouring in from everywhere — the responses said a lot about the man, and even more about what he meant to the players who played for him.
For a coach who spent nearly three decades operating without fanfare, the outpouring felt right. He had always been better understood in retrospect. In Houston, that retrospect is worth sitting with.
Nobody quite expected the fit when the Houston Rockets parted with Jeff Van Gundy in May 2007, five days after the firing, and turned to Adelman. He was a cerebral basketball lifer who had spent the better part of two decades building things quietly in Portland, Sacramento, and Golden State.
The expectation was continuity. A steady hand on a roster that already had its stars in Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. What followed was something stranger and more impressive than that.
Houston’s offense sputtered out of the gate, and the Rockets sat at 13-15 entering Christmas. Players later admitted it took time to adapt to the offensive system Adelman was installing.
For a coach who spent nearly three decades operating without fanfare, the outpouring felt right. He had always been better understood in retrospect. In Houston, that retrospect is worth sitting with.
Nobody quite expected the fit when the Houston Rockets parted with Jeff Van Gundy in May 2007, five days after the firing, and turned to Adelman. He was a cerebral basketball lifer who had spent the better part of two decades building things quietly in Portland, Sacramento, and Golden State.
The expectation was continuity. A steady hand on a roster that already had its stars in Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. What followed was something stranger and more impressive than that.
Houston’s offense sputtered out of the gate, and the Rockets sat at 13-15 entering Christmas. Players later admitted it took time to adapt to the offensive system Adelman was installing.
4 months ago
