7 Kings Players who became coaches after their playing careers ended 

1. Rick Adelman 

Hall of Famer Rick Adelman put together a long basketball career. On the professional level, it first started in 1968 when he was drafted into the NBA by the San Diego Rockets. 

Between 1968 and 1975, he played for the Rockets, the Trail Blazers, the Bulls, the New Orleans Jazz, and the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. The two best seasons of his playing career came with the Trail Blazers in 1971-72 and 1972-32. 

With the Kings, he only played 18 games but eventually returned as the team’s head coach. Adelman’s coaching career started in 1977 with Chemeketa Community College in Oregon. In 1983, he was hired as an assistant coach by the Trail Blazers and eventually got the head coaching job in 1989. 

After having a quite successful run with Portland, he was dismissed after the 1993-94 season and joined the Golden State Warriors as their new head coach. A few years later, he found his way to Sacramento, turning the Kings into one of the best teams in the Western Conference. He was at the head of the team during the Kings’ last successful stretch before their return to the playoffs in 2023. 

Nevertheless, his contract was not renewed in 2006, and Adelman went on to coach the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves.