Rumors

Speaking on the latest episode of the All The Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Mobley reflected on his time with Yao in Houston and expressed that the 7-foot-6 center was more than just a dominant post scorer. “What people don’t understand about Yao. He could pass the ball, like Joker, he could've done that,” Mobley said. “It’s just the offense didn’t. Say we would’ve had Rick Adelman, for a fact, you would’ve seen more of Yao Ming. Like that Chris Webber, that Vlade Divac, Brad Miller type of passing. He had all of it.”

Clutch Points

“So I tell him,” David said. “And I’m not kidding, he goes … ‘Really? Well, that’s a good opportunity.'” At first, his dad’s response seemed a little … understated. But the more David thought about it, the more he appreciated the tone and the message. “It’s kind of what I needed to hear,” David said. “I needed someone to be calm, and not go, ‘Oh my God! Oh my God! What’s happening? What’s happening?’ He handled it so well. I’m sure in the back of his mind he was excited, but he nailed it so perfectly.”

New York Times

Rick Adelman says he would like to attend a game where his son is head coach, but right now is not the time. “This is his time,” Rick said. So, Rick sends David text messages before each game, then again after the game. And if David wants to talk, he’s there to listen. “I probably talked to him more when he was an assistant,” Rick said. “But now, when he does call, it’s a long, long conversation. I don’t give him much advice; he more just kind of gets things off his chest.”

New York Times

Joel Rush: Nikola Jokic postgame on Rick Adelman: "I don't think he's new. He's with us last 5, 6, 7 years. Hew was always we heard him, he was always vocal, always giving us tips that can help us. I think right now he's more emphasizing those tips, those little details he wants to amplify in our game."

bsky.app

ClutchFans: Nuggets coach David Adelman told @BenDuBose that he believes the 2008-09 Rockets, coached by his father Rick Adelman, was a championship team. "I really firmly believe the team that lost to the Lakers in 7 in the second round, without Yao and without Tracy, was a championship team. I really believe that. I think a lot of people think my dad's best opportunity to win it was in Sacramento or in Portland, and I think deep down he thinks it was that year [with Houston]."

x.com

Nuggets players do indeed hold David Adelman in high regard, sources say. Son of the longtime NBA coach Rick Adelman, Denver's interim head coach has emerged in recent years as a top candidate among assistants vying for their first head coaching job. There is a belief in Denver that Adelman will be afforded a chance to keep the job long term, sources say. I spoke to him once for a story on Jokić and Gordon's deep friendship and Adelman dissected every angle of their passes as well as the two brilliant playmakers reading the defense themselves.

marcstein.substack.com

Like all of Malone’s assistant coaches, Adelman — who joined the Nuggets in 2017 and is likely to be in the running for other head-coaching jobs this summer — is in the last year of his contract. League sources say the Portland Trail Blazers, for one, are likely to have interest in Adelman if they eventually decide to part ways with Chauncey Billups. Adelman’s father, Rick, was at the helm during Portland’s late 1980s-early 1990s run that included two trips to the NBA Finals.

New York Times

Drexler also contends that Bert Kolde casts a pall over the organization. Kolde, the college roommate of the late Blazer owner Paul Allen at Washington State, has been involved in major decisions for the franchise since Allen purchased the club in 1988. Kolde was part of the decision to fire Drexler’s coach, Rick Adelman, in 1994, a decision that led to Drexler asking for a trade before the following season. Kolde was not a popular figure among Blazer coaches and executives during that time. “Whatever Bert said, Paul listened to,” one former Blazer executive said. “And Bert was in over his head.”

kerryeggers.com

While no final decision has been made on Christie’s future, team sources said a continuation of this current trend would give him a strong chance at landing a new deal in the summer. If the Kings decide to open up another coaching search in the offseason, however, they would be hiring their 14th coach since the Rick Adelman era ended in 2006.

New York Times

The current Cavs coach first broke into the league in 2007 as a player development assistant on Adelman’s bench for the Houston Rockets, featuring an offense led by Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Adelman, who coached the Chris Webber Sacramento Kings as well, designed his offense around a distribution hub at the five, a star three-level playmaker at the wing and various skilled players surrounding them. Now, some of Cleveland’s plays mirror what Adelman ran in Houston. “I just always believed in cutting from the time I was with Rick Adelman in Houston,” Atkinson said. “He always preached cutting and how cutting opened up space.”

New York Times

James Ham: In the 39 years since the Kings moved to Sacramento, this is just the 10th time they have posted a .500 record. Eight of those season came under Rick Adelman. Mike Brown has the other two in his first two seasons with the franchise.

Twitter

Vinny Benedetto: Nuggets assistant David Adelman comes out to congratulate his father, Rick, for winning the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award during the timeout.

Twitter

Rick Adelman's influence is all over this year's NBA Finals, which makes his being honored during the title series even more fitting. Adelman was announced Sunday as the 18th recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

ESPN

It preceded Game 2 of the NBA Finals between Denver and Miami; Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman is Rick's son, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is a Portland native who vividly remembers Adelman's Trail Blazers teams. "To be included with the past winners is special," Adelman said in a statement. "Chuck was a great coach and respected by all those who coached against his teams. To receive an award like this I have to thank all those who helped me along the way, in particular my assistant coaches and front offices. I would also like to thank the players I had through the years. Their effort and cooperation made everything I did possible. Good players make coaching much easier."

ESPN