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Marcos Bretón: Won and done for Adelman
Kings coach's 8 playoff appearances aren't enough to save his job
By Marcos Bretón -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Rick Adelman, who led the Kings to the greatest success of their 20 years in Sacramento, was dismissed Tuesday for not taking the team far enough.
Adelman presided over 395 victories, 229 defeats and eight consecutive playoff appearances during eight seasons with the Kings. But it was the team's failure to compete for an NBA title - plus early departures from the playoffs in recent years - that apparently prompted Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof to push Adelman to the exits.
"We just felt it was time to go in a different direction," Joe Maloof told Bee columnist Ailene Voisin. "We're pretty impulsive people. We move quick. Yesterday (Monday), the family talked, we talked with (Kings president of basketball operations) Geoff (Petrie), and figured out what we wanted to do, and I think Geoff was OK with that."
The end was not surprising for many Kings observers who have spent much of the last two seasons debating whether Adelman would or should receive a contract extension. The agreement between Adelman and the Kings was scheduled to expire in September. As late as Monday, the Maloofs were silent on the possibilities of a new contract for Adelman, essentially sealing his dismissal.
Adelman could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
He is a highly respected and tenured member of the fraternity of NBA coaches, with a coaching career dating back two decades. His courtside persona was renowned across the league - from his arm-waving bursts of sheer joy during fast breaks to the anguish of his puppy-dog expression after questionable calls by referees.
Yet away from the court, when the games were over, few people in Sacramento knew Adelman. One of his closest friends was his boss, Petrie, whose relationship with Adelman dated to their days as teammates with the Portland Trail Blazers.
But beyond Petrie, even Kings insiders claimed to have little understanding of the head coach.
"So many coaches play to the spotlight, but Rick was happy being in the deep, dark background," said Kings radio announcer Gary Gerould, who has been with the club since it arrived from Kansas City in 1985. "The spotlight didn't have any significance to him. ... I don't think many people, including myself, know him very well."
The re-emergence of the Maloofs as hands-on owners seemed to spell the end of the Adelman era.
The brothers had been scarce around Arco Arena for much of the last two seasons. Then, in late January, they became activists again, engineering the trade for Ron Artest, considered a pariah by many other NBA owners.
The Kings rallied with Artest and claimed the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference to face the San Antonio Spurs.
But the Maloofs were publicly upset after Game 2, when the Kings blew a critical road game against the Spurs thanks to defensive lapses.
Then, late in Game 5 in San Antonio, Brad Miller was on the floor rather than Kings teammates who might have provided better defense against the Spurs' Tim Duncan. The Kings lost again and were eliminated after Game 6.
Four days after the series ended, Adelman was shown the door - and even his employers recognized the dismissal as part of the win-or-else mentality of professional sports.
"Rick enters a fairly rare category of coaches that won a ton, but as time wore on, it wasn't enough to continue on," Petrie said at a news conference Tuesday at the Kings practice facility.
By way of explanation, Petrie made the dismissal sound as if the Maloofs and Adelman agreed not to renew his contract.
"The dynamic that needed to be there, to help move it (contract negotiations) forward, just wasn't there," Petrie said. "Everybody recognized that."
The Kings also declined to renew the contracts of Adelman's four assistants: Elston Turner, T.R. Dunn, Bubba Burrage and Pete Carril, the Hall of Fame former Princeton coach.
Maybe if Adelman's Kings had made a few more free throws in 2002, in the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, he'd have a championship and wouldn't be cleaning out his belongings from Arco Arena.
But there is no glittery banner at Arco. The Kings are no longer the national media darlings of basketball - and they have bombed out in the first round of the playoffs two years running.
These realities have dispatched players once beloved by Kings fans - and so it comes as no surprise that the coach who turned the franchise around from yearly losers to playoff-bound could go as well.
Some fans were disappointed. "I'm shocked, I think Adelman did an outstanding job," said Richard Hendrickson, a 76-year-old Sacramento resident.
But Petrie was much more circumspect.
"It just wasn't feasible to go forward," he said. "It's part of the nature of our business."
The word on the street about Rick Adelman
Interviews by The Bee's Edgar Sanchez. Photos by Autumn Cruz.
Barbara Doyle, 57, Sacramento "I think it's a shame. ... The coach was really trying. He didn't get a chance to work with the players the Kings have now. "
Corey Ginn, 41, state worker, Sacramento: "I think it's magnificent. . . . His tenure ... has been a losing proposition. You're measured by championships, not just wins and losses."
Bernie Gutierrez, 35, Sacramento: "I think it's a bad decision. ... This coach took the Kings to the playoffs eight years in a row. I'm not happy. ... I'm a true Kings fan. I'm hurt."
Mandy Vang, 15, student, Sacramento: "I think it's kind of wrong. ... The Kings have been winning. (Letting him go) is like losing part of your life, part of your family. It's terrible."
Arthur Johansen, 84, retired banker, Lincoln: "I think it's for the birds. I think Adelman has tried to do a good job. ... Blaming it on him is ridiculous. They're crazy ... It's not right."
Nancy Bender, 52, nurse practitioner, Weimar: "I don't think there's a better coach. ... He did a miraculous job with an assortment of new talent and different lineups."
William Hopkins, 25, bike store employee, Sacramento: "The Kings should have kept him. ... He was coaching really well. ... I'm really surprised. I'm really shocked."
Marcos Bretón: Won and done for Adelman
Kings coach's 8 playoff appearances aren't enough to save his job
By Marcos Bretón -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Rick Adelman, who led the Kings to the greatest success of their 20 years in Sacramento, was dismissed Tuesday for not taking the team far enough.
Adelman presided over 395 victories, 229 defeats and eight consecutive playoff appearances during eight seasons with the Kings. But it was the team's failure to compete for an NBA title - plus early departures from the playoffs in recent years - that apparently prompted Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof to push Adelman to the exits.
"We just felt it was time to go in a different direction," Joe Maloof told Bee columnist Ailene Voisin. "We're pretty impulsive people. We move quick. Yesterday (Monday), the family talked, we talked with (Kings president of basketball operations) Geoff (Petrie), and figured out what we wanted to do, and I think Geoff was OK with that."
The end was not surprising for many Kings observers who have spent much of the last two seasons debating whether Adelman would or should receive a contract extension. The agreement between Adelman and the Kings was scheduled to expire in September. As late as Monday, the Maloofs were silent on the possibilities of a new contract for Adelman, essentially sealing his dismissal.
Adelman could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
He is a highly respected and tenured member of the fraternity of NBA coaches, with a coaching career dating back two decades. His courtside persona was renowned across the league - from his arm-waving bursts of sheer joy during fast breaks to the anguish of his puppy-dog expression after questionable calls by referees.
Yet away from the court, when the games were over, few people in Sacramento knew Adelman. One of his closest friends was his boss, Petrie, whose relationship with Adelman dated to their days as teammates with the Portland Trail Blazers.
But beyond Petrie, even Kings insiders claimed to have little understanding of the head coach.
"So many coaches play to the spotlight, but Rick was happy being in the deep, dark background," said Kings radio announcer Gary Gerould, who has been with the club since it arrived from Kansas City in 1985. "The spotlight didn't have any significance to him. ... I don't think many people, including myself, know him very well."
The re-emergence of the Maloofs as hands-on owners seemed to spell the end of the Adelman era.
The brothers had been scarce around Arco Arena for much of the last two seasons. Then, in late January, they became activists again, engineering the trade for Ron Artest, considered a pariah by many other NBA owners.
The Kings rallied with Artest and claimed the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference to face the San Antonio Spurs.
But the Maloofs were publicly upset after Game 2, when the Kings blew a critical road game against the Spurs thanks to defensive lapses.
Then, late in Game 5 in San Antonio, Brad Miller was on the floor rather than Kings teammates who might have provided better defense against the Spurs' Tim Duncan. The Kings lost again and were eliminated after Game 6.
Four days after the series ended, Adelman was shown the door - and even his employers recognized the dismissal as part of the win-or-else mentality of professional sports.
"Rick enters a fairly rare category of coaches that won a ton, but as time wore on, it wasn't enough to continue on," Petrie said at a news conference Tuesday at the Kings practice facility.
By way of explanation, Petrie made the dismissal sound as if the Maloofs and Adelman agreed not to renew his contract.
"The dynamic that needed to be there, to help move it (contract negotiations) forward, just wasn't there," Petrie said. "Everybody recognized that."
The Kings also declined to renew the contracts of Adelman's four assistants: Elston Turner, T.R. Dunn, Bubba Burrage and Pete Carril, the Hall of Fame former Princeton coach.
Maybe if Adelman's Kings had made a few more free throws in 2002, in the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, he'd have a championship and wouldn't be cleaning out his belongings from Arco Arena.
But there is no glittery banner at Arco. The Kings are no longer the national media darlings of basketball - and they have bombed out in the first round of the playoffs two years running.
These realities have dispatched players once beloved by Kings fans - and so it comes as no surprise that the coach who turned the franchise around from yearly losers to playoff-bound could go as well.
Some fans were disappointed. "I'm shocked, I think Adelman did an outstanding job," said Richard Hendrickson, a 76-year-old Sacramento resident.
But Petrie was much more circumspect.
"It just wasn't feasible to go forward," he said. "It's part of the nature of our business."
About the writer:
- Reach Marcos Bretón at (916) 321-1096 or mbreton@sacbee.com. Back columns, www.sacbee.com/breton
The word on the street about Rick Adelman
Interviews by The Bee's Edgar Sanchez. Photos by Autumn Cruz.
Barbara Doyle, 57, Sacramento "I think it's a shame. ... The coach was really trying. He didn't get a chance to work with the players the Kings have now. "
Corey Ginn, 41, state worker, Sacramento: "I think it's magnificent. . . . His tenure ... has been a losing proposition. You're measured by championships, not just wins and losses."
Bernie Gutierrez, 35, Sacramento: "I think it's a bad decision. ... This coach took the Kings to the playoffs eight years in a row. I'm not happy. ... I'm a true Kings fan. I'm hurt."
Mandy Vang, 15, student, Sacramento: "I think it's kind of wrong. ... The Kings have been winning. (Letting him go) is like losing part of your life, part of your family. It's terrible."
Arthur Johansen, 84, retired banker, Lincoln: "I think it's for the birds. I think Adelman has tried to do a good job. ... Blaming it on him is ridiculous. They're crazy ... It's not right."
Nancy Bender, 52, nurse practitioner, Weimar: "I don't think there's a better coach. ... He did a miraculous job with an assortment of new talent and different lineups."
William Hopkins, 25, bike store employee, Sacramento: "The Kings should have kept him. ... He was coaching really well. ... I'm really surprised. I'm really shocked."
