Nuggets interim coach David Adelman draws inspiration from Oregon roots

For the past couple of weeks, David Adelman has been tasked with leading the Denver Nuggets to the NBA Playoffs and a first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.

And while the 2024-25 NBA season is reaching its crescendo, Adelman is going back to his roots.

Adelman has had Jesuit basketball coach Gene Potter around, giving him guidance as he runs the Nuggets as interim head coach. Adelman is a Jesuit alumnus and played for Potter in his high school years.

In a press conference over the weekend, Adelman said Potter has been around the Nuggets for the past week and will be there for the Nuggets’ game against the Clippers on Monday night.

“He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever been around,” Adelman said of Potter. “This whole NBA thing is cool but he knows a lot more than the majority of the people coaching in this league.”

Potter has been the head coach at Jesuit since 1993. In his tenure, he’s coached the Crusaders to a combined 669-222 record and won state championships in 1999, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2019.

He is No. 8 on Oregon’s all-time coaching wins list and holds the state record for championships.

Potter is also fresh off the 2024-25 Oregon high school basketball season, where he guided the Crusaders to perhaps one of their most unlikely finishes yet.

Jesuit went 19-11 this winter, finished tied for second in the Metro League, but pulled off upset after upset in the playoffs en route to the Class 6A state championship game.

“He’s a really good friend,” Adelman said of Potter. “Understands the game, but seven state championships, 600 wins, 25 league championships, I don’t mind having that person around.”

Adelman played for Potter in his high school years and was an assistant coach for the Crusaders from 2002-06. After that, Adelman was the head coach at Lincoln High School in southwest Portland from 2006-2011.

Since then, Adelman has been a player development coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2011-16) and an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic (2016-17) and Nuggets (2017-25). He was placed in the interim role after the Nuggets fired coach Michael Malone on April 8.

Adelman is one of two Jesuit High School alumni to currently lead NBA teams. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra graduated from Jesuit in 1988 — a few years before Potter took over.