Jamaal Wilkes

Silk

Jamaal Abdul-Lateef (born Jackson Keith Wilkes, May 2, 1953), better known as Jamaal Wilkes, is an American former basketball player who was a small forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-time NBA All-Star, he won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. Nicknamed "Silk", he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Quick Facts

Born: 2 May 1953
Birthplace: Berkeley, California, U.S.
High school: Ventura (Ventura, California); Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, California)
College: UCLA (1971–1974)
Draft round: 1
Draft pick: 11
Drafted by: Golden State Warriors
Career position: Small forward

Lore & Background

Wilkes played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He was a two-time consensus first-team All-American and won two NCAA championships under coach John Wooden. He was selected in the first round of the 1974 NBA draft by Golden State. In his first season with the Warriors, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and helped the team win a league title. Wilkes won three more NBA championships with the Lakers during their Showtime era. He briefly played with the Los Angeles Clippers before retiring from playing. His jersey No. 52 was retired by both the Bruins and the Lakers.

Reader's Guide

Wilkes played the titular role of Cornbread in the 1975 coming-of-age feature film Cornbread, Earl and Me. He was born in Berkeley, California, one of five children of L. Leander Wilkes, a Baptist minister, and Thelma (Benson) Wilkes. He grew up in Ventura, California, after moving there in the second grade. He attended Ventura High School and later Santa Barbara High School, where he was named California Interscholastic Federation Class AAAA Player of the Year. At UCLA, he averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game over three varsity seasons, graduating with a BA in economics. In the NBA, he was named Rookie of the Year in 1975 and was a two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection.

Did You Know?

Wilkes was nicknamed 'Silk' after a UCLA band member praised his smooth move during a freshman practice.
He skipped the fifth grade and his older sister Naomi skipped two grades, attending Stanford University at age 16.
Wilkes won four NBA championships: one with the Golden State Warriors (1975) and three with the Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985).