NBA Icon Wilkens Passes Away at 88
NBA icon Lenny Wilkens passed away on Sunday at the age of 88. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Wilkens left an indelible mark on basketball as both a player and coach.
Career Highlights of Lenny Wilkens
- Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.
- Played 15 seasons in the NBA with three teams:
- St. Louis Hawks
- Seattle SuperSonics
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Named a nine-time NBA All-Star.
- Averaged 16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game over 1,077 career games.
Coaching Achievements
After retiring as a player, Wilkens transitioned into coaching. He became one of the winningest coaches in NBA history, leading multiple teams:
- Seattle SuperSonics
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Toronto Raptors
- New York Knicks
His coaching career spanned from 1969 to 2005. Notably, he guided the SuperSonics to their only NBA championship in 1979. Wilkens holds the record for the most games coached, totaling 2,487.
Legacy and Records
Wilkens recorded 1,332 wins as a coach, ranking third in NBA history, behind only Gregg Popovich and Don Nelson. He also made back-to-back playoff appearances with the Raptors in 2001 and 2002.
Wilkens’ influence on the game of basketball will be remembered for generations, as he was truly a pioneer in both playing and coaching roles.
