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 Wilkens with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1968 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 28, 1937 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 9, 2025 (aged 88) Medina, Washington, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Boys (Brooklyn, New York) |
| College | Providence (1957–1960) |
| NBA draft | 1960: 1st round, 6th overall pick |
| Drafted by | St. Louis Hawks |
| Playing career | 1960–1975 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 32, 15, 14, 19, 17 |
| Coaching career | 1969–2005 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1960–1968 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1968–1972 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1972–1974 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1974–1975 | Portland Trail Blazers |
Coaching | |
| 1969–1972 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1974–1976 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1977–1985 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1986–1993 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1993–2000 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2000–2003 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2004–2005 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights | |
As player:
As coach: | |
| Career playing statistics | |
| Points | 17,772 (16.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 5,030 (4.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 7,211 (6.7 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 1332–1155 (.536) |
| Record at Basketball Reference | |
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Lenny Wilkens (born October 28, 1937, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.—died November 9, 2025, Medina, Washington) was an American professional basketball player and coach, considered to be one of the game’s most accomplished playmaking guards and who won 1,332 games, the third most in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA), behind Gregg Popovich and Don Nelson. His total of 1,155 losses as a coach is an NBA record.
At Providence College the slender left-handed Wilkens made good use of his calm, patient nature to become adept at both dishing out assists and playing heady defense. By the time the St. Louis Hawks drafted him in 1960, Wilkens was ready to step right into the starting lineup. Over his 15-year career with the Hawks, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers, Wilkens, always a skilled floor general, also developed into a prolific scorer, compiling 17,772 career points, along with 7,211 assists. A nine-time all-star, he ranks among the NBA’s elite in those categories, as well as in free throws and minutes played.
Before ending his playing career, Wilkens took on the role of player-coach, first with the Supersonics (1969–70 to 1971–72) and then with the Trail Blazers (1974–75 to 1975–76). As a full-time coach, he guided the SuperSonics (1977–78 to 1984–85), winning a championship in 1978–79; the Cavaliers (1986–87 to 1992–93), who despite several strong seasons could never advance beyond the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the playoffs; the Atlanta Hawks (1993–94 to 1999–2000); the Toronto Raptors (2000–01 to 2002–03); and the New York Knicks (2004–05). He was named coach of the year for the 1993–94 season.
He also coached the U.S. men’s basketball team to a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Moreover, Wilkens was vice president of the National Basketball Players Association (1961–69), served as president of the NBA Coaches Association, held a number of jobs in the SuperSonics’ front office, and served as a game analyst on basketball television broadcasts. He also wrote an autobiography, Unguarded: My Forty Years Surviving in the NBA (2001). Wilkens was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1989 and as a coach in 1998.
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Leonard Randolph Wilkens (October 28, 1937 – November 9, 2025) was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as a player, as a coach in 1998, and in 2010 as part of the 1992 United States Olympic "Dream Team" for which he was an assistant coach. In 1996, Wilkens was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, and in 2021 he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[1][2] In addition, in 2022 he was also named to the list of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History, being the only person to be in both NBA 75th season celebration lists, as a player and as a coach.[3] He is also a 2006 inductee into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wilkens made a combined 13-time NBA All-Star Game appearances as a player (nine times) and as a head coach (four times), was the 1994 NBA Coach of the Year, won the 1979 NBA championship as the head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics, and was the head coach of the Olympic gold medal winning 1996 U.S. men's basketball team.
During the 1994–95 season, Wilkens set the record for most regular season coaching wins in NBA history, a record he held when he retired with 1,332 victories. As of February 2022, he is in third place on the list, behind Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich.[4] Wilkens won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2010–11 NBA season.[5] Wilkens is also the most prolific coach in NBA history, at 2,487 regular-season games, 89 more games than Nelson, and over 400 more than any other coach, and has more losses than any other coach in NBA history, at 1,155.
Early life
Leonard Randolph Wilkens was born on October 28, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York. Wilkens grew up in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.[6] His father was African-American and his mother was Irish American.[7] Wilkens was raised in the Catholic faith.[7]
At Boys High School, Wilkens was a basketball teammate of longtime Major League Baseball star Tommy Davis,[8] and played for coach Mickey Fisher.[9]
College career
Wilkens was a two-time All-America (1959 and 1960) at Providence College.[10] He led the team to their first NIT appearance in 1959, and to the NIT finals in 1960. When he graduated, Wilkens was, with 1,193 points, the second-ranked scorer in Friar history (he has since dropped to 26th as of 2011).[11] In 1996, Wilkens' No. 14 jersey was retired by the college, the first alumnus to receive such an honor.[12] In honor of his collegiate accomplishments, Wilkens was one of the inaugural inductees into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.[13]
Professional playing career
St. Louis Hawks (1960–1968)
Wilkens was drafted sixth overall by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1960 NBA draft. He began his career with eight seasons with the St. Louis Hawks, who lost the finals to the Boston Celtics in his rookie season.[14] The Hawks made the playoffs consistently with Wilkens but never again reached the finals. Wilkens placed second to Wilt Chamberlain in the 1967–1968 MVP balloting, his last with the Hawks.[15]
Seattle SuperSonics (1968–1972)
Wilkens was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics for Walt Hazzard and spent four seasons there. He averaged 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game in his first season for the SuperSonics, and was an All-Star in three of his seasons for them. He was named head coach in his second season with the team. Although the SuperSonics did not reach the playoffs while Wilkens simultaneously coached and started at point guard, their record improved each season and they won 47 games during the 1971–72 NBA season. Wilkens was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers before the start of the next season in a highly unpopular trade, and the SuperSonics fell to 26–56 without his leadership on the court.[16]
Cleveland Cavaliers (1972–1974)
Wilkens played two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[17]
Portland Trail Blazers (1974–1975)
Wilkens played one season with the Portland Trail Blazers.[17]
Legacy
Wilkens scored 17,772 points during the regular season, was a nine-time NBA All-Star, and was named the 1971 NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1971. With Seattle, he led the league in assists in the 1969–70 season, and at the time of his retirement was the NBA's second all-time leader in that category, behind only Oscar Robertson. In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Wilkens as the 75th greatest player in NBA history.[18]
Coaching career
Seattle SuperSonics (1969–1972)
Wilkens was a player-coach for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1969 to 1972.[14]
Portland Trail Blazers (1974–1976)
In his one season as a player with the Portland Trail Blazers, he was a player-coach. He retired from playing in 1975 and was the full-time coach of the Trail Blazers for one more season.[14]
Seattle SuperSonics (1977–1985)
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After a season off from coaching, he again became coach of the SuperSonics when he replaced Bob Hopkins who was fired 22 games into the 1977–78 season after a dismal 5–17 start.[19] The SuperSonics won 11 of their first 12 games under Wilkens. They made the playoffs in back-to-back years, losing in seven games to the Washington Bullets in the 1978 NBA Finals before returning to the 1979 NBA Finals and defeating the Washington Bullets in five games for their only NBA title.[20]
He coached in Seattle for eight seasons (1977–1985), winning his (and Seattle's) only NBA championship in 1979.
Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–1993)
Wilkens coached the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1986 to 1993. His tenure with Cleveland was highlighted by three 50-win seasons, including a then-franchise record 57 victories in both the 1988–89 and 1991–92 seasons. In the second of those seasons, the Cavaliers reached the Eastern Conference Finals for only the second time in franchise history. Despite those successes, the Cavaliers failed to make deeper playoff runs under Wilkens, with four of their playoff defeats coming against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. In 1993, following their defeat to the Bulls in the second round of the playoffs, Wilkens resigned as coach.[21]
Atlanta Hawks (1993–2000)
On June 2, 1993, Wilkens was hired as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.[22] In Wilkens' first season, the Hawks tied a then-franchise record with 57 wins, earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Hawks traded their superstar Dominique Wilkins midway through the season for Danny Manning, leading to a second-round defeat to the Indiana Pacers. On January 6, 1995, Wilkens won his 939th career regular season game to surpass Red Auerbach as the all-time winningest coach in NBA history, a record he would hold for nearly 15 seasons.[23] In 1997, his contract was extended to two years and $10.4 million dollars. The Hawks never advanced past the second round during Wilkens' tenure despite six consecutive playoff berths and three 50-win seasons. On 24 April 2000, he resigned as head coach following a 28-54 record.[24]
Toronto Raptors (2000–2003)
In June 2000, Wilkens signed a four-year, $20 million dollar contract to become head coach of the Toronto Raptors, replacing Butch Carter.[25] In his first season at the helm, he led the Raptors franchise to their first playoff series win, defeating the New York Knicks in the first round. Wilkens and the team parted ways after a disappointing and injury riddled 2002-03 season where they finished with a 24-58 record.[26]
New York Knicks (2004–2005)
The Hall of Famer was named head coach of the New York Knicks on January 15, 2004 after the team started 15-24 under Don Chaney.[27] After the Knicks' slow start to the 2004–05 season, Wilkens resigned from the team on January 22, 2005.[28]
Executive career
Wilkens was the General Manager of the Seattle SuperSonics from April 24, 1985 until May 27, 1986. During his stint as GM, he drafted future All-Star Xavier McDaniel and hired Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff.
On November 29, 2006, Wilkens was hired as vice chairman of the SuperSonics' ownership group,[29] and was later named the Sonics' President of Basketball Operations on April 27, 2007.[30] On July 6, 2007, Wilkens resigned from the Sonics organization.
Broadcasting career
Wilkens briefly worked at Northwest FSN Studio as a college basketball analyst.[31]
Personal life and death
Wilkens was married to Marilyn Reed from 1962 until his death in 2025; they had three children, Leesha, Randy and Jamee. The Wilkens had seven grandchildren, six girls and one boy.
Wilkens was the founder of the Lenny Wilkens Foundation for Children[32] and lived in Medina, Washington.[33] He was a practicing Catholic.[citation needed] Wilkens died at his home on November 9, 2025, at the age of 88.[34]
Awards and honors
NBA
- 1979 NBA champion (as head coach of Seattle)
- 13-time NBA All-Star
- nine times as a player
- four times as a head coach
- 1971 NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 1994 NBA Coach of the Year
- 2011 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award
- No. 19 retired by Seattle SuperSonics (carried over to the Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Top 10 Coaches in NBA History (NBA 50th Anniversary)
- Top 15 Coaches in NBA History (NBA 75th Anniversary)
USA Basketball
- Two-time coach of Olympic gold medal winning team:
- 1992 as an assistant coach with the "Dream Team"
- 1996 as head coach of the U.S. men's team
Halls of Fame
- Three-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
- class of 1989 as a player
- class of 1998 as a coach
- class of 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team"
- Cleveland Cavaliers Wall of Honor (class of 2022)[35]
- U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (class of 2009 – as a member of the "Dream Team")
- FIBA Hall of Fame (class of 2017 – as a member of the "Dream Team")
- College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006)
- Providence College Hall of Fame.
State/Local
- City of Seattle renamed Thomas Street to Lenny Wilkens Way.[36]
- A statue outside Climate Pledge Arena was installed on Lenny Wilkens Way in 2025.[37]
Organizational
- 1999 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement[38]
Quotes
- "I learned my basketball on the playgrounds of Brooklyn. Today, being a playground player is an insult. It means all you want to do is go one-on-one, it means your fundamentals stink and you don't understand the game. But the playgrounds I knew were tremendous training grounds."[citation needed]
- "Show people how to have success and then you can push their expectations up."[39]
NBA career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
Source:[17]
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960–61 | St. Louis | 74 | — | 25.3 | .425 | — | .713 | 4.5 | 2.8 | — | — | 11.7 |
| 1961–62 | St. Louis | 20 | — | 43.5 | .385 | — | .764 | 6.6 | 5.8 | — | — | 18.2 |
| 1962–63 | St. Louis | 75 | — | 34.3 | .399 | — | .696 | 5.4 | 5.1 | — | — | 11.8 |
| 1963–64 | St. Louis | 78 | — | 32.4 | .413 | — | .740 | 4.3 | 4.6 | — | — | 12.0 |
| 1964–65 | St. Louis | 78 | — | 36.6 | .414 | — | .746 | 4.7 | 5.5 | — | — | 16.5 |
| 1965–66 | St. Louis | 69 | — | 39.0 | .431 | — | .793 | 4.7 | 6.2 | — | — | 18.0 |
| 1966–67 | St. Louis | 78 | — | 38.1 | .432 | — | .787 | 5.3 | 5.7 | — | — | 17.4 |
| 1967–68 | St. Louis | 82 | — | 38.6 | .438 | — | .768 | 5.3 | 8.3 | — | — | 20.0 |
| 1968–69 | Seattle | 82 | — | 42.2 | .440 | — | .770 | 6.2 | 8.2 | — | — | 22.4 |
| 1969–70 | Seattle | 75 | — | 37.4 | .420 | — | .788 | 5.0 | 9.1* | — | — | 17.8 |
| 1970–71 | Seattle | 71 | — | 37.2 | .419 | — | .803 | 4.5 | 9.2 | — | — | 19.8 |
| 1971–72 | Seattle | 80 | — | 37.4 | .466 | — | .774 | 4.2 | 9.6 | — | — | 18.0 |
| 1972–73 | Cleveland | 75 | — | 39.6 | .449 | — | .828 | 4.6 | 8.4 | — | — | 20.5 |
| 1973–74 | Cleveland | 74 | — | 33.6 | .465 | — | .801 | 3.7 | 7.1 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 16.4 |
| 1974–75 | Portland | 65 | — | 17.9 | .439 | — | .768 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 6.5 |
| Career | 1,077 | — | 35.3 | .432 | — | .774 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 16.5 | |
| All-Star | 9 | 3 | 20.2 | .400 | — | .781 | 2.4 | 2.9 | — | — | 9.4 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | St. Louis | 12 | — | 36.4 | .380 | — | .759 | 6.0 | 3.5 | — | — | 14.2 |
| 1963 | St. Louis | 11 | — | 36.4 | .370 | — | .755 | 6.3 | 6.3 | — | — | 13.7 |
| 1964 | St. Louis | 12 | — | 34.4 | .448 | — | .759 | 5.0 | 5.3 | — | — | 14.3 |
| 1965 | St. Louis | 4 | — | 36.8 | .351 | — | .828 | 3.0 | 3.8 | — | — | 16.0 |
| 1966 | St. Louis | 10 | — | 39.1 | .399 | — | .687 | 5.4 | 7.0 | — | — | 17.1 |
| 1967 | St. Louis | 9 | — | 42.0 | .400 | — | .856 | 7.6 | 7.2 | — | — | 21.4 |
| 1968 | St. Louis | 6 | — | 39.5 | .440 | — | .750 | 6.3 | 7.8 | — | — | 16.1 |
| Career | 64 | — | 37.5 | .399 | — | .769 | 5.8 | 5.8 | — | — | 16.1 | |
Head coaching record
| * | Record |
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 1969–70 | 82 | 36 | 46 | .439 | 5th in Western | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle | 1970–71 | 82 | 38 | 44 | .463 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle | 1971–72 | 82 | 47 | 35 | .573 | 3rd in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Portland | 1974–75 | 82 | 38 | 44 | .463 | 3rd in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Portland | 1975–76 | 82 | 37 | 45 | .451 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle | 1977–78 | 60 | 42 | 18 | .700 | 3rd in Pacific | 22 | 13 | 9 | .591 | Lost in NBA Finals |
| Seattle | 1978–79 | 82 | 52 | 30 | .634 | 1st in Pacific | 17 | 12 | 5 | .706 | Won NBA Championship |
| Seattle | 1979–80 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 2nd in Pacific | 15 | 7 | 8 | .467 | Lost in Conf. Finals |
| Seattle | 1980–81 | 82 | 34 | 48 | .415 | 6th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle | 1981–82 | 82 | 52 | 30 | .634 | 2nd in Pacific | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Seattle | 1982–83 | 82 | 48 | 34 | .585 | 3rd in Pacific | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost in First Round |
| Seattle | 1983–84 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 3rd in Pacific | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in First Round |
| Seattle | 1984–85 | 82 | 31 | 51 | .378 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Cleveland | 1986–87 | 82 | 31 | 51 | .378 | 4th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Cleveland | 1987–88 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 4th in Central | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in First Round |
| Cleveland | 1988–89 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 2nd in Central | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in First Round |
| Cleveland | 1989–90 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 4th in Central | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in First Round |
| Cleveland | 1990–91 | 82 | 33 | 49 | .402 | 6th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Cleveland | 1991–92 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 2nd in Central | 17 | 9 | 8 | .529 | Lost in Conf. Finals |
| Cleveland | 1992–93 | 82 | 54 | 28 | .659 | 2nd in Central | 9 | 3 | 6 | .333 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Atlanta | 1993–94 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Central | 11 | 5 | 6 | .455 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Atlanta | 1994–95 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 5th in Central | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost in First Round |
| Atlanta | 1995–96 | 82 | 46 | 36 | .561 | 4th in Central | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Atlanta | 1996–97 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 2nd in Central | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Atlanta | 1997–98 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 | 4th in Central | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | Lost in First Round |
| Atlanta | 1998–99 | 50 | 31 | 19 | .620 | 2nd in Central | 9 | 3 | 6 | .333 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Atlanta | 1999–2000 | 82 | 28 | 54 | .341 | 7th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Toronto | 2000–01 | 82 | 47 | 35 | .573 | 2nd in Central | 12 | 6 | 6 | .500 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Toronto | 2001–02 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 3rd in Central | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in First Round |
| Toronto | 2002–03 | 82 | 24 | 58 | .293 | 7th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| New York | 2003–04 | 42 | 23 | 19 | .548 | 3rd in Atlantic | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost in First Round |
| New York | 2004–05 | 39 | 17 | 22 | .436 | (resigned) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 2,487* | 1,332 | 1,155 | .536 | 178 | 80 | 98 | .449 |
Source:[40]
See also
- List of NBA career assists leaders
- List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
- List of NBA career free throw scoring leaders
- List of NBA career playoff triple-double leaders
- List of NBA single-game assists leaders
References
- "NBA at 50: Top 50 Players". NBA.com. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- "NBA 75". NBA.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- "NBA unveils 15 best coaches in league history to celebrate 75th anniversary". Sportsnet.ca. February 8, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- "Spurs coach Gregg Popovich passes Wilkens for No. 2 on all-time coaching wins list". NBA.com. February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- Wilkens presented Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award | NBA.com Archived July 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- Beck, Howard. "PRO BASKETBALL; Wilkens Denies He Was Asked to Go", The New York Times, September 28, 2005. Accessed November 20, 2007. "A native of Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Wilkens had added motivation to succeed in New York, which made leaving so quickly that much tougher."
- Smith, Gary (December 5, 1994). "He Has Overcome". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2008.
- Deford, Frank (November 24, 1969). "SWEETY CAKES RUNS THE SONICS". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- "MICKEY FISHER, BROOKLYN COACH; Sports Director, Formerly of Boys High, Dies at 58". New York Times. April 17, 1963. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- Vergun, David (December 21, 2021). "Sports Heroes Who Served: One of Basketball's Greatest Also Served in the Army". defense.gov. U.S. Department of Defense.
- "Former Friar Great Lenny Wilkens '60 Receives NBA Lifetime Achievement Award". friars.com. June 10, 2011.
- Rosenberg, I. J. (June 11, 2015). "Lenny Wilkens was exceptional as a player and as a coach". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- "FOUNDING CLASS MEMBERS". The College Basketball Experience. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016.
- Broadnax, Nigel (January 24, 2025). "The Forgotten History of the NBA Player-Coach". The Ringer.
- "Legends profile: Lenny Wilkens". NBA.com.
- Gastineau, Mark; Thiel, Art; Rudman, Steve (2009). The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists. United States: Running Press. pp. 261–262. ISBN 9780762435227.
- "Lenny Wilkens Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- Vardon, Joe (February 17, 2022). "NBA 75: At No. 75, Lenny Wilkens was the embodiment of the player as coach on the floor". The Athletic.
- Goldaper, Sam (December 1, 1977). "Wilkens Named Sonics' Coach Again". The New York Times.
- Frandsen, Mike (February 1, 2014). "Seattle's Last Title: SuperSonics' 1979 NBA Finals Win over Washington Bullets". Bleacher Report.
- "Wilkens resigns as Cavs coach". UPI Archives. May 24, 1993.
- "Wilkens named coach of Hawks". Tampa Bay Times. June 2, 1993.
- "This Day In Sports: The cigar was at the ready for Lenny". KTVB7 News. January 6, 2025.
- "Wilkens steps down after 28-54 season". ESPN. April 25, 2000.
- "Wilkens named Toronto's coach". ESPN. June 21, 2000.
- "Raptors part ways with Wilkens". CBC. April 17, 2003.
- "Chaney, Malone, Kruger fired; Wilkens hired". ESPN. January 14, 2004.
- Beck, Howard (January 23, 2005). "Knicks' Downward Spiral Takes Down Wilkens". The New York Times.
- Evans, Jayda (December 1, 2006). "Wilkens a Sonic again – as vice chairman". The Seattle Times.
- "SONICS: Lenny Wilkens Confirmed as President of Basketball Operations". NBA.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
- Washburn, Gary (June 15, 2007). "Wilkens' implication he was in charge led to demotion". Seatllepi.
- "Lenny Wilkens Foundation". Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
- Sports | Where are they now? Championship Sonics remain near and far between Seattle Times. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- Booth, Tim (November 9, 2025). "Lenny Wilkens, godfather of Seattle basketball, dies at 88". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
- Boggs, Justin (March 9, 2022). "Cavs add former players, owner, coach to Wall of Honor". Spectrum News 1. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- "Lenny Wilkens: City renames street after former Seattle SuperSonics coach, player". KOMO News. October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- Pelton, Kevin (June 28, 2025). "Lenny Wilkens 1st to have statue outside Climate Pledge Arena". ESPN. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
- "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
- "Lenny Wilkens Interview (page: 6 / 7)". Academy of Achievement. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
- "Lenny Wilkens: Coachong Record, Awards". Basketball Reference. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
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Lenny Wilkens, N.B.A. Hall of Famer as Both Player and Coach, Dies at 88
A perennial All Star, he was cited as one of the league’s 50 greatest players and one of its top 10 coaches, winning 1,332 games and leading Seattle to a championship.
Lenny Wilkens, the All-Star N.B.A. point guard of the 1960s and ’70s who became the league’s second-ranking coach in total victories, forging a Hall of Fame career through five decades in pro basketball, died on Sunday at his home in Medina, Wash. He was 88.
His death was confirmed by Michael Parham, a spokesman for the family. He did not provide a cause.
Growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Wilkens began playing basketball in Catholic playground leagues, and then played for Boys High School in his senior year.
He became an All-American at Providence College and was selected by the St. Louis Hawks in the first round of the 1960 N.B.A. draft. One of the league’s leading playmakers of his time and a strong defensive presence with a nifty left-handed jump shot, he played for 15 seasons, his first eight with the Hawks, and earned All-Star honors nine times.
Wilkens passed Red Auerbach for most N.B.A. coaching victories when his Atlanta Hawks defeated the visiting Washington Bullets in January 1995 for his 939th win. He seldom had star players, in contrast to Auerbach’s molding of a Boston Celtics dynasty with Bill Russell and a host of fellow Hall of Famers. But Wilkens’s insistence on team play and defensive tenacity brought him acclaim among basketball insiders, including Auerbach, who was on hand for Wilkens’s milestone victory.
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Wilkens coached six teams over 32 seasons. He won 1,332 games (and lost 1,155), but his victory total was exceeded by Don Nelson’s 1,335 and Gregg Popovich’s 1,390. In his second coaching go-round with the Seattle SuperSonics (which later became the Oklahoma City Thunder), he took them to the 1979 N.B.A. championship and won.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in 1989 as a player and again in 1998 as a coach. When the N.B.A. celebrated its 50th season in 1996, Wilkens was cited as one of its 50 greatest players and top 10 coaches.
A soft-spoken figure, his expression betraying little emotion as he surveyed the action, Wilkens was a stark contrast to fellow coaches who paced the sidelines, barking instructions.
He might have been overshadowed at times in light of his calm demeanor, but he shrugged that off.
“My personality is not important,” he told The New York Times when his SuperSonics were on the brink of their N.B.A. championship. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the team. I’m as effective as a raving lunatic. Who would you listen to? Yelling and screaming is not my nature. I try to get through to my players in other ways.”
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Paul Silas, a Sonics forward on that championship team, described him as “a very, very low‐key guy.”
“Nothing ever seems to excite him,” Silas said. “He doesn’t intimidate players. He never points fingers at individuals, win or lose, which perhaps is his greatest quality.”
Wilkens’s 1979 Sonics had a solid but unspectacular lineup that featured Dennis Johnson and Gus Williams in the backcourt and Jack Sikma, John Johnson, Lonnie Shelton and Silas up front. The team was the underdog in the playoff final against a Washington team led by Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld, both Hall of Famers. The Bullets had beaten the Sonics in the previous season’s final. But in their second matchup, the Sonics captured the championship in five games.
Wilkens was voted N.B.A. coach of the year for 1993-94, when he took the Atlanta Hawks, who were coming off a mediocre season, to a 57-25 record and a division title.
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After coaching the SuperSonics for the first time, beginning in 1969, and the Portland Trail Blazers, and playing for both teams, Wilkens coached the Sonics again, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hawks, the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks. He replaced Don Chaney as the Knicks’ coach in 2004 in the midst of a losing season and turned their fortunes around, but they lost in the first round of the playoffs. He resigned in January 2005 when the Knicks floundered once more.
Wilkens was an assistant coach under Chuck Daly for the gold medal-winning Dream Team of pro stars at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and head coach of the second Dream Team, which won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Leonard Randolph Wilkens was born on Oct. 28, 1937, in Brooklyn. “My father was Black and a chauffeur, but he died when I was 5,” Wilkens told Terry Pluto in the N.B.A. oral history “Tall Tales” (1992). “My mother was an Irish Catholic and was left with having to raise five kids. She worked at a candy factory, packing boxes. We also went through a period when we were on public assistance.”
He worked as a grocery stockman when he wasn’t in school and remembered how his mother, Henrietta, “was a strong presence” who kept her family together.
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She enrolled him in a Catholic elementary school. The Rev. Thomas Mannion, who had coached him as a youth, kept in touch and recommended him to Providence, a Roman Catholic college, after his graduation from Boys High (now Boys and Girls High School).
Wilkens, at 6-foot-1, played for three seasons at Providence under Coach Joe Mullaney, averaging nearly 15 points a game. He was named most valuable player of the 1960 National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden. He led the Friars to the championship game, where they were beaten by Bradley University, from Illinois. He graduated with a degree in economics.
At his first Hawks training camp, Wilkens and several other Black players decided to have lunch at a restaurant across the street. “The place was just a greasy spoon, but they wouldn’t serve us,” he recalled. “I had spent my life in the Northeast, and I never had it happen to me before. I was both embarrassed and angry, and I just left.”
Wilkens soon proved adept at setting up plays in the frontcourt for Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan and Clyde Lovellette, all of whom were inducted into the Hall of Fame. He averaged 16.5 points a game, along with 6.7 assists for his career, and led the N.B.A. twice in total assists.
His survivors include his wife, Marilyn, and his children, Leesha, Randy and Jamee.
When Wilkens approached his 939th victory, eclipsing Auerbach, he told The Times how “I maximized the talent I had.”
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As for ego-driven players who shunned advice, he said, “I’m not going to embarrass anyone, but I tell them, ‘If you have a problem with me being honest with you, then you’ll have to go someplace else.’”
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