Tribute to Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens, a talented playmaker who was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and a coach, passed away on Sunday at the age of 88.
During his 15-year playing career, Wilkens was named an All-Star nine times and led the league in assists twice. Known for his exceptional basketball IQ, he served as a player-coach for four seasons—three with the Seattle SuperSonics and one with the Portland Trail Blazers—before fully committing to coaching. He guided the Sonics to their 1979 NBA Championship and earned the Coach of the Year award in 1994.
Wilkens amassed 1,332 career wins, ranking third all-time, while coaching teams like the Sonics, Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and New York Knicks until his retirement in 2005. He holds the record for the most games coached in NBA history, with 2,487. Additionally, he won an Olympic gold medal as the coach of the U.S. team in 1996.
He is one of just five individuals to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, joining legends like John Wooden and Bill Russell. NBA commissioner Adam Silver remarked, “Lenny Wilkens embodied the highest ideals of the NBA—both as a Hall of Fame player and coach, and as a highly respected figure in the sport.”
Raised in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Wilkens faced challenges from a young age, losing his father when he was just five years old. He didn’t play on his high school team until his senior year, yet eventually became the first star player at Providence College, where he earned All-American honors twice.
Wilkens was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in 1960 and made a significant impact on the court, leading the team to multiple playoff appearances. After a successful tenure with the Hawks, he transitioned to coaching, eventually leading the SuperSonics to their first NBA Championship. Throughout his career, Wilkens was a pioneer for African-American coaches and made significant contributions to the game.
Beyond coaching, Wilkens was active in the NBA Coaches Association for 17 years and established the Lenny Wilkens Foundation, raising millions in Seattle. He remains a beloved figure for his contributions, especially in bringing the SuperSonics their coveted title.
