Lenny Wilkens
Hall of Fame player and coach, NBA's winningest coach at retirement.
via Wikipedia: Lenny Wilkens · see source
Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is 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. 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 anniversary lists as a player and as a coach. He is also a 2006 inductee into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 28 October 1937
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, U.S.
- Died
- 9 November 2025
- Place of death
- Medina, Washington, U.S.
- High school
- Boys (Brooklyn, New York)
- College
- Providence (1957–1960)
- Drafted by
- St. Louis Hawks
- Career number
- 32, 15, 14, 19, 17
Lore & Background
Wilkens made a combined 13 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. He is in third place on the list, behind Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich. Wilkens won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2010–11 NBA season. 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.
Reader's Guide
Wilkens was drafted sixth overall by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1960 NBA draft. He played for the St. Louis Hawks (1960–1968), Seattle SuperSonics (1968–1972), Cleveland Cavaliers (1972–1974), and Portland Trail Blazers (1974–1975). He became a player-coach for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1969 to 1972, the second Black coach in NBA history. He later coached the Portland Trail Blazers (1974–1976), Seattle SuperSonics (1977–1985), Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–1993), Atlanta Hawks (1993–2000), Toronto Raptors (2000–2003), and New York Knicks (2004–2005). He also served as general manager for the Seattle SuperSonics after the 1984–85 season.
Did You Know?
- Wilkens was a two-time All-American (1959 and 1960) at Providence College.
- He led the league in assists in the 1969–70 season with Seattle.
- Wilkens scored 17,772 points during the regular season and was a nine-time NBA All-Star.
- He was named the 1971 NBA All-Star Game MVP.
- Wilkens's No. 14 jersey was retired by Providence College in 1996.
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