To the list of superheroes Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Aquaman and even Ant-Man add one more name.

Disguised as a mild-mannered, soft-spoken, good-natured, team-centric interim placeholder the meek geek really can leap tall centers for a single rebound, is faster than a speeding shooting guard and is more powerful than Kings, Grizzlies, Rockets, Clippers and the Thundering Locomotive.

He’s ADELMAN.

David Adelman has defeated every evil villain confronted so far in his NBA career as the ad hock pro tem coach of the Denver Nuggets. Since Adelman was assigned a terrible toiling task with three games remaining in the regular season he has turned into The Man of the Hour, the Night, the Week, the Month. Ask Sacramento, Memphis, Houston, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City.

Four of those cities are gone from basketball this season, and the most heralded fifth is down 2-1 in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Is there an Oscar Award for acting coach?

Diminutive David smites the Goliaths.

Adelman conveniently will celebrate his 44th birthday Thursday when the Nuggets probably play the Thunder in Game 6 at The Ball in Denver.

The Nuggets, Bon Jovi, may be livin’ on a prayer, but they are very alive and, well, could take a 3-1 advantage Sunday against the Thunder, who have won 73 overall games in 2024-25.

ADELMAN has come to the rescue. He doesn’t seek accolades and doesn’t get many or any. He gives credit to players for victories. Aaron “Here Comes Mr.’’ Gordon has won or tied three playoff games in the final moments of regulation. Nikola Jokic is the Master of the NBA Universe even when he produces the worst game of his life and finishes with “only” 21 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. Jamal “Playoff Buster’’ Murray has a record rise to his game during the postseason. Jokic and Murray have surpassed Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen for duo with most 20 point-five assist playoff games in history (31).

Michael Porter Jr. is playing with a badly wounded left shoulder when he should be on the injury list for six weeks. But he smacked 5-of-6 three-pointers Friday night and ended up with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Christian “Champion’’ Braun is doing dirty duties and decisive deeds on both ends of the court.

Russell Westbrook has been the best sixth and supporting player in basketball since the old Celtics decided to bring John Havlicek off the bench. Westbrook has proven all the naysayers, including moi, wrong. Teams such as the Thunder and the Clippers, the Lakers and the Rockets gave up on him. The Nuggets gave him a chance, and he’s giving them hope.

The Nuggets primarily are using 6½ players (MPJ and Peyton Watson) while their opponents (the Thunder, for instance) are going nine or 10 deep.

And the Nuggets are being coached by a guy who was unknown to 99.9 percent of Americans who are not his family members just a month ago. David Adelman was a Superhero then only to his wife Jenny and two children – L.J. and Lennan Marie.

Adelman even welcomes his assistants and players Jokic and Westbrook to coach up the rest of the roster.

There are 80 men on linkedin.com named David Adelman. Denver’s ADELMAN is not one. If he were included, his professional career would list volunteer high school basketball assistant, long-time paid head coach of a state championship team, player development staff member of the Minnesota Timberwolves (coached by his dad), assistant and Summer League coach, assistant with the Orlando Magic and finally the Nuggets’ offensive coordinator.

At the Adelman reunion Rick Adelman is the most famous because he was a point guard in the NBA for eight seasons with five different teams and coached in the league for 23 seasons with five different teams.

A photo of the 1998-1999 Jesuit High School basketball team in Portland, Ore., shows a scrawny senior on the front row. His teammate was Michael Dunleavy Jr. (son of a former NBA All-Star, coach and GM), the No. 1 player in the state. They won the championship that season.

Dunleavy Jr. would go on to Duke and the NBA as a star. Adelman would go on to Southern New Hampshire University as a scrub and be a coaching lifer like his dad.

He is Adelman the Marvel Superhero with the Nuggets.

Remove the interim designation.