David Kahn on Rick Adelman: One of the last images I have of him is of him sitting at a small desk he'd asked to be set up in a corner of the court during pre-game shootarounds at lunchtime. His assistant led the session, and he watched. In front of him were Werther's Original candies, spread out with index cards on which he devised post-timeout strategies. He was like a schoolteacher. As a coach, he developed benchmark systems based on player and ball movement, undoubtedly inspired by Jack Ramsay (coach of Portland's 1977 NBA championship, for whom Adelman served as an assistant from 1983 to 1986). He was often underestimated, perhaps because he was so adept at adapting to his players. He possessed a quiet professionalism. When I once asked RJ what the secret to his father's success was, he replied, "He has the talent to not hear or be affected by what's happening around him, to stay in his own bubble." Over the course of his career, he became one of the very best coaches in history.

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: He was often underestimated, perhaps because he was so …