Kings make change, fire Adelman after eight seasons

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Rick Adelman made eight straight playoff appearances in eight consecutive winning seasons coaching the Sacramento Kings. His teams won two division titles while crafting an exciting new image for one of the NBA's least lovable franchises.

And it wasn't nearly enough to save his job when the Kings' owners and executives looked at their empty trophy case.

The Kings dismissed the most successful coach in franchise history Tuesday in a firing mostly motivated by the club's desire for something better than the above-average results delivered by Adelman, 14th on the NBA's career list with 752 coaching victories.

Geoff Petrie, the Kings' president of basketball operations, wouldn't give any clear-cut reasons for the decision not to extend Adelman's contract, which expires in September. But owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, apparently dissatisfied with Adelman for years, are widely thought to be behind the move.

Sacramento was eliminated from the playoffs Friday by the San Antonio Spurs, and the club wasted no time removing the final on-court link to the franchise's revitalization in 1999, when the run of consecutive playoff appearances began.

"I came to the conclusion that continuing this way just wasn't feasible," said Petrie, who also hired Adelman -- his former roommate from their playing days -- when both worked in Portland. "The dynamic that needed to be there to help it move forward just wasn't there."

The Kings also declined to renew the contracts of Adelman's four assistants: Elston Turner, T.R. Dunn, Bubba Burrage and Pete Carril.