Denver Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman once served as a ball boy for the Portland Trail Blazers. His dad was a successful coach of the Blazers, too.
Now, he’ll be making his acting head coaching debut against, as it just so happens, Portland. Adelman slides over a seat to the top spot on the bench Tuesday night with coach Michael Malone sidelined after entering the league’s health and safety protocols.
«It’s very coincidental. It’s kind of odd,» Adelman said of facing the Blazers. «It’s kind of cool. But the bottom line is whoever we’re playing tonight, we’re trying to go get a win. I’ll do the best job I can.»
Adelman found out before shootaround earlier in the day that he would be stepping in for Malone, who wasn’t feeling well, he said. Adelman added Malone will be in contact with the staff — via cellphone — and fellow assistant coach Ryan Saunders will serve as Adelman’s right-hand adviser.
Last season, Adelman was in line for a similar opportunity when Malone entered health and safety protocols. But then Adelman tested positive.
«The responsibilities change,» said Adelman, who may coach again Wednesday night against Minnesota. «But like I said, everything remains the same as far as our expectation of how we want to play.»
Adelman’s father, Rick, spent six seasons with the Blazers and guided the team to the NBA Finals on two occasions. Rick Adelman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. His 1,042 wins in stints with Portland, Golden State, Sacramento, Houston and Minnesota rank 10th all-time among NBA coaches.
Although David Adelman would like to one day follow in his father’s footsteps and be an NBA head coach, his immediate goal remains modest: Keep the Nuggets rolling. Denver entered the night tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the top spot in the Western Conference.
«I don’t want it to feel different because we’ve had such a good run here,» said Adelman, who’s in his sixth season as an assistant with Denver. «That’s the No. 1 goal, just to be consistent with what we’ve done. We will do the best we can.»
Malone has won 344 games over eight seasons with the Nuggets, which is the third-most in team history. He trails only Doug Moe (432) and George Karl (423). Malone also has a 21-27 postseason mark with Denver.
«Everyone will step up,» Adelman said. «Different roles, but same expectations as if he’s here. That’s where Coach has been so good over the years — there’s an World Cup 2022 Argentina vs. Netherlands Odds Lines: Expert Picks, FIFA Predictions, Best Betsexpectation of how we prepare, how we go about our business, and we’ll try to do that for him tonight.»
LOS ANGELES — Twenty years after LeBron James was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, the No. 3 selection in the league’s most recent draft — Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. — told the Los Angeles Lakers star something to make him feel his age.
«Hey,» Smith said in a video captured by the NBA TV cameras during the Lakers’ 140-132 win on Monday night, «you played against my dad your first NBA game ever.»
The 19-year-old Rockets rookie’s father, Jabari Smith Sr., was indeed on the Kings’ roster when James made his regular-season debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 29, 2003, in Sacramento.
The elder Smith was 26 years old back then, and James was just 18.
Now that James is 38, these types of intergenerational basketball connections are, well, becoming old hat.
«It made me feel extremely old when Junior told me that,» James said after the game. «I think he even said it like, ‘You probably feel old.'»
