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Longtime NBA head coach Rick Adelman, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021, has died at the age of 79, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced in a press release.

Adelman, who played seven years in the the league, started his NBA coaching career as an assistant with the Trail Blazers. After six years as an assistant, he took over as interim head coach of Portland in 1988/89.

Adelman led the Cylde Drexler-era Blazers to two trips to the NBA Finals and another run to the Western Conference finals in his five full seasons as head coach before parting ways with the organization at the conclusion of the ’93/94 campaign.

The NBCA named Adelman the winner of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. Adelman was known as an offensive guru, often running sets through big men who were skilled passers.

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According to Sports Card Investor’s Market Movers, Wemby has had more trading cards sold in the NBA over the last 60 days with 61,000 cards sold. He is followed by: Cooper Flagg (53,000); Kon Knueppel (26,200); LeBron James (20,400); and Dylan Harper (17,200).

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Fanatics Collect announced on Monday that it had brokered the sale of a 2023 Prizm Black #1/1 Wemby card for $5.1 million, a record for the most expensive Wembanyama card. The private sale is also the fourth highest NBA card sale of all-time and the most expensive non-autographed NBA card ever.

According to Fanatics Collect, the Wemby card now ranks eighth on the all-time list of the most valuable sports card, following: Michael Jordan ($12.9M); Kobe Bryant ($12.9M); Mickey Mantle ($12.6M); LeBron James ($10M); Honus Wagner ($7.25M); Babe Ruth ($7.2M); Aaron Judge ($5.2M); and Wembanyama ($5.1M).

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Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player, has passed away after a harrowing battle with a brain tumor. The retired center was 47-years-old and just one year removed from his wedding to film producer Brunson Green.

'We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,' the Collins family said in a statement. 'Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar.

'We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.'

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Memphis Grizzlies star Brandon Clarke has died at the age of 29, it has been announced.

The Grizzlies confirmed Clarke's sudden death on Tuesday, describing him as an 'outstanding' member of the Memphis community.

'We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,' the NBA team said in a statement. 'Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.

'We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.'

While a cause of death has not yet been confirmed, Los Angeles outlet NBC4 has revealed that Clarke's death was being investigated as a possible overdose.

The Canadian-American player was found dead in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, after fire crews responded to a 911 call of a medical emergency shortly after 5pm local time on Monday.

Paramedics are said to have declared him dead upon arrival at the scene, with drug paraphernalia found in the home.

Clarke, who was selected by Memphis with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, died just four months before his 30th birthday.

It also comes one month after he was arrested in Arkansas on charges including speeding and trafficking a controlled substance.

The Cross County Sheriff's Department booked him into jail on April 1 for improper passing, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing and exceeding the speed limit and trafficking a controlled substance.

Injuries had limited the 6ft 8in Grizzlies forward to only two games this season in a frustrating year, with Memphis recently ruling him out for the rest of this season.

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