Portland Trail Blazers: Rick Adelman 2021 Hall of Fame candidate

Rick Adelman, one of, if not the most popular coaches of the Portland Trail Blazers, was announced as a 2021 finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach.

Adelman was drafted as a player in the 7th round of the 1968 draft out of Loyola Marymount by the San Diego Rockets. The Blazers would select him in the 1970 expansion draft, where he played four seasons (1970-1973) in addition to Chicago, the New Orleans Jazz, and Kansas City-Omaha Kings.

Adelman began his coaching career in 1977 as coach at Salem’s Chmeketa Community College. in his 6 years coaching the Storm, he compiled a record of 141-39. He was inducted into the NWAC (Northwest Athletic Conference) Hall of Fame in 1993. In 1983, he joined Jack Ramsay’s staff as an assistant coach. He was named Portland’s 7th Head Coach in 1989 and held that title until 1994. While guiding the Blazers, Adelman twice led Portland to the Finals in 1990 and 1992.

After leaving the Trail Blazers, Coach Adelman would go on to coach at Golden State, Sacramento, Houston, and Minnesota, retiring in 2014. He also coached the NBA-All-Star teams in 1991, 2001 and 2003, as is currently 9th in the NBA with most wins as a coach (1042). The potential hall of famer retired in 2014.

If Adelman were inducted, he’d join, Lenny Wilkens (player and coach), Bill Walton, Drazen Petrovic, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen, Arvydas Sabonis, Maurice Cheeks, and Jack Ramsay as inductees with connection to Portland currently in the Naismith Hall of Fame.

In addition to Adelman, Chris Bosh, Michael Cooper, Paul Pierce, the first Black NBA head coach Bill Russell, Villanova coach Jay Wright, seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith, seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time MVP Lauren Jackson and NCAA national champion and WNBA coach of the year Marianne Stanley, as first-time finalists.

The announcement of who will be inducted will take place May 16.