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Wednesday, December 20, 2000
Kings give Adelman two-year extension
Associated Press
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Rick Adelman is doing something right in Sacramento, and the
Kings' owners have noticed.
The Kings on Wednesday gave Adelman a two-year contract
extension. It was the second extension in three months for the
veteran coach, who has Sacramento off to the best start in
franchise history at 17-6 entering Wednesday night's game at
Seattle.
In his first two years on the job, Adelman led the Kings to
consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since the
franchise moved to Sacramento in 1985. This season, the Kings have
the NBA's best home record at 11-1 and are the surprising leaders
of the tough Pacific Division.
"I speak for my entire family when I say that Rick Adelman has
done an absolutely outstanding job," owner Joe Maloof said in a
statement. "He has coached a style of basketball with this team
that is competitive and very entertaining night in and night out."
Adelman's contract was extended through the 2001-02 season on
Sept. 27. His new extension runs through the 2003-04 season.
"This is certainly something the Maloof family didn't have to
do, especially after giving me an extension back in September,"
Adelman said. "It is a head coach's dream situation to work with
an organization like we have in Sacramento. Everyone is very
supportive."
Adelman has kept a fairly low profile during his 11 seasons as a
head coach in Portland, Golden State and Sacramento. Known for
allowing his teams freedom and for mediating team conflicts quietly
and internally, he led the Trail Blazers to two NBA Finals
appearances and four straight 50-victory seasons in nearly six
seasons in Portland.
He was fired by Golden State after two losing, injury-plagued
campaigns, then took over the Kings before the strike-shortened
1999 season.
Adelman arrived in Sacramento the same year Chris Webber, Jason
Williams, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic and Scot Pollard joined the
team. The Kings quickly gained league-wide notoriety for their
high-flying, high-scoring style of play.
Sacramento led the NBA in scoring in each of Adelman's first two
seasons, but Adelman said he was never comfortable with his team's
indifferent attitude toward defense.
"Sometimes I wondered if we were doing the right thing when we
played that way, but I tried to let the strengths of our players
come out," Adelman said earlier this month.
This season, Adelman has convinced Webber, Williams and the rest
of the Kings that defense is important -- and the results are
showing in the standings. New acquisitions Doug Christie and Bobby
Jackson have helped to make Sacramento one of the league's better
defensive teams.
Webber, the Kings' leading scorer and rebounder who clashed with
all of his previous NBA coaches, has said he strongly respects and
likes Adelman. Sacramento hopes to re-sign Webber when the power
forward becomes a free agent after the season, and Adelman's
long-term security won't hurt its cause.
"This is an outstanding gesture by the Maloof family to give
Rick Adelman this extension, but it is one that Rick certainly has
earned," Kings vice president of basketball operations Geoff
Petrie said. "His teams here in Sacramento have provided Kings
fans with an entertaining and competitive style of play."
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