DENVER — The Denver Nuggets have officially handed the reins to David Adelman.

The promotion, announced by President Josh Kroenke in the Nuggets end of season media availability that followed Denver’s hard-fought playoff run, marks a pivotal chapter in the Nuggets’ story. But it’s not just about continuity. It’s about belief. It’s about legacy. And it’s about a team that refuses to settle for anything short of greatness.

“We’re going to be moving forward with David Adelman as our head coach,” Kroenke said. “The way the group really rallied around him—not only a different voice, but a different style of communication—was fantastic to see.”

Adelman, the son of Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman, has been around the game his entire life. But it’s what he’s built in Denver—first as an assistant since 2017, then as a steady interim presence this spring—that set him apart. He helped guide the Nuggets through turbulence, closing the regular season on a 3-0 run and leading them to a first-round playoff victory over the LA Clippers before narrowly falling to the top-seeded Thunder in a seven-game slugfest.

The pressure was enormous. The path was unclear. But Adelman never wavered. He connected with the locker room. He earned the trust of MVP Nikola Jokić. He gave the Mile High faithful reason to believe.

“Hopefully our fan base has seen how the players came together and really rallied around our coaches and our coaching staff,” Kroenke added.

This isn’t just a coaching hire. It’s a declaration of intent. The Nuggets aren’t pressing reset. They’re sharpening the sword. They’re taking a team with championship DNA and doubling down with a leader who understands the culture, the standard, and the vision.

Adelman’s resume now includes not just contributions to Denver’s 2023 title run, but a masterclass in midseason adaptation. In an era where player-coach relationships define success, his ability to earn respect—and results—when the lights were brightest has positioned him as a rising star in NBA coaching circles.

“We squeezed a little more out of the season than the direction that we were headed six weeks ago,” Kroenke admitted. “But when you have the roster that we have, anything outside of a championship is not acceptable.”

As the Nuggets prepare for the 2025-26 season, much of the roster remains intact. But now, there’s a full offseason ahead—one where Adelman can implement his own system, run his own camp, and stamp his identity on a squad still hungry for more.

While the Nuggets won’t have a selection in this year’s draft, the work behind the scenes has only just begun. Kroenke confirmed the organization will be “very active” in exploring opportunities through trades and free agency to bolster the roster around its core. The goal isn’t just to compete. It’s to contend—and win again.

“We don’t have a pick in the draft, but we’re going to be very active in exploring how we can improve around that, as well as free agency,” Kroenke said. “So it’s all systems go.”

With David Adelman now leading the charge and the front office preparing for a crucial offseason, the mission in Denver remains clear: chase banners, build legacies, and keep the Mile High standard alive.