Richard Leonard "Rick" Adelman was born in Lynwood, California, the son of Gladys (née Olsen) and Leonard Joseph "L.J." Adelman, who were from North Dakota and worked as teachers and farmers. He is a retired professional basketball player and head coach. Mr. Adelman coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association and served as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Adelman began his basketball career as a collegiate star at Loyola Marymount University. In the 1968 NBA Draft, he was selected by the San Diego Rockets (now the Houston Rockets) in the 7th round. He played for two seasons in San Diego before being recruited to play for the Portland Trail Blazers. Mr. Adelman also played for the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans (now Utah) Jazz, and the Kansas City/Omaha (now Sacramento) Kings.