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The Orlando Magic introduced the passing of former head coach Richie Adubato on Friday. Adubato had served because the crew’s interim boss in the course of the 1996-97 season.
“Richie’s legacy lives on in each story and lesson he shared-a coach who turned the health club into a spot of connection and pleasure, impacting numerous lives with heat, humor, and unforgettable spirit,” a press release from the Magic’s possession group, the DeVos household, mentioned in a press release. “Our ideas and prayers are along with his spouse, Carol, and all the Adubato household.”
Adubato was a sideline staple in main skilled basketball for 3 many years, a tenure that started as an assistant on Dick Vitale’s workers with the Detroit Pistons in 1979. He would wind up ending the 1979-80 season on the helm after Vitale’s early firing, posting a 12-58 mark the remainder of the best way.
Adubato would have extra success at different head teaching stops, his longest within the males’s division being a four-year time period with the Dallas Mavericks. In his debut yr, which noticed him take over for John MacLeod 11 video games into the 1989-90 season, Adubato posted a 42-29 file and guided the Mavericks to the playoffs regardless of dropping each Adrian Dantley and Roy Tarpley for prolonged intervals. Adubato spent three extra seasons with the Mavericks however by no means returned to the playoffs.
How Abubato Discovered Success in The WNBA
Along with his head teaching stints, Adubato was additionally an assistant coach with the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He was on the Magic’s workers in the course of the crew’s memorable run to the 1995 NBA Finals, two years earlier than he coached the ultimate 33 video games of the 1996-97 season instead of the ousted Brian Hill. He guided Orlando to a 21-12 file in that span earlier than taking the second-ranked Miami Warmth to the brink within the ensuing postseason.
🙏💙 pic.twitter.com/suqQgjCEWR
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 7, 2025
Adubato later discovered success within the WNBA, returning to Madison Sq. Backyard to steer the New York Liberty in 1999. Below Adubato’s six-season watch (1999-2004), the Liberty reached the WNBA Finals on three events. Adubato amassed 100 wins on the helm of the Liberty, setting a franchise file that stood till Sandy Brondello broke that mark final summer time. After departing the Liberty early within the 2004 season, Adubato discovered his remaining head teaching job with the Washington Mystics for two-plus excursions (2005-07).
Thereafter, Adubato stayed near the Magic, serving because the crew’s major radio coloration commentator for over a decade-and-a-half alongside play-by-play man Dennis Neumann. In 2020, Adubato penned his memoir “
Adubato is survived by his spouse, Carol.
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