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Lenny Wilkens, a naisketball Hall of Fame inductee as both player and coach, died Sunday at 88.
Wilkens, who played 15 years in the NBA – including four seasons as a player’s coach – was one of only five men inducted into the hall. Others were John Wood, Bill Sharman, Tom Heinsohn and Bill Russell.
“Lenny Wilkens represents the best of the NBA – as a hall of fame player, hall of fame coach and one of the most respected ambassadors,” NBA Commissioner Adamu said in a statement. “So much so that, four years ago, Lenny earned the unique distinction of being named one of the 75 greatest players and greatest coaches of all time.”
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Lenny Wilkens of the Portland Trail Blazers looks against the Washington Bulls during an NBA Basketball Game Circa 1975 in downtown Landover, Maryland. Wilkens played for the Blazers from 1974-75. (Focus on Sports / Getty Images)
Wilkens made nine NBA All-Star teams during his playing career and twice led the league in assists. Standing just over six feet tall, he broke into the league after a stint at Providence College, where he helped lead the friars to their first nit appearance in 1959 and finals Fenals in 1960.
A two-time All-American at Providence, Wilkens became the first player in school history to retire, in 1996.
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The Wilkens were selected by the st-st. Louis Hawks in the first round of the 1960 NBA Draft. He only played 20 games in his second season after military service, but when he returned full time, he became a cornerstone of the Hawks.
St. Louis reached the playoffs six straight seasons with Wilkens, a Brooklyn native who didn’t play high school basketball until his senior year. He made five all-star teams in that span and averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds over 555 games over eight seasons with the Hawks.
Lenny Wilkens, coach of the Seattle Superson basketball team, acknowledges Special Park before the game, at T-Mobile Park on June 1, 2019 in Seattle, Washington, during the celebration of the team’s 40th championship. (Stephen Brashear / Final Images)
The Hawks traded Wilkens to the Seattle Seahawks in 1968, where he thrived. He averaged 22.4 points, 8.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds in his first season, then led the league in assists (9.1) the following year.
Before the 1969-70 season, Dick Vertlieb’s general manager named Wilkens Player-Coach. He helped set the tone again on the court, guiding Seattle to its first winning season in his third year in a dual role.
The smooth left-hander went on to pitch in Seattle, then spent two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and finished his career with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974-75.
Wilkens ranks 17th in the NBA all-time career scoring list with 7,211 in 1,077 games.
NBA Legend Lenny Wilkens attends the Rain City Showcase game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the LA Clippers at Octle Speenars Arena on Oct 11, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
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He also served as a player’s coach in Portland before going full-time coaching. Wilkens later returned to Seattle in the 1977-78 season, leading the staff to the NBA Finals, where they won Washington’s first and only franchise championship.
Wilkens went on to coach the Cavalaers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks, totaling 1,332-1,155 (.536) regular season games. His career record stood at 80-98.
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