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Lenny Wilkens, a Hall of Famer whose NBA career spanned more than 50 years as both a player and coach and who was widely celebrated in Seattle for his community work with children, died Sunday. He was 88.
According to his family, Wilkens passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones.
Wilkens was honored in June with the first statue outside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The arena sits alongside Lenny Wilkens Way, which was named in his honor.
Born Oct. 28, 1937, in Brooklyn, Wilkens starred at Providence College before being selected in the first round of the 1960 NBA Draft. He went on to earn nine All-Star selections as a player.
Known for his poise at the point and ability to control games, he became one of the league’s top playmakers during a 15-year career.
Wilkens transitioned into coaching while still active as a player, a rare decision in league history. He posted 1,332 career coaching victories — at one time an NBA record — and led the SuperSonics to their only championship in 1979.
He later coached the Cavaliers, Hawks, Raptors and Trail Blazers. His time in Cleveland has lived on in Cavaliers lore, with Wilkens coaching the still-beloved group of Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Larry Nance, and others.
Wilkens was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame three times — once as a player in 1989, again as a coach in 1998 and as part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” in 2010.
Off the court, Wilkens focused much of his time on philanthropic efforts in the Seattle area. Through the Lenny Wilkens Foundation, he helped raise funds for the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, while also volunteering at youth camps and events aimed at increasing access and opportunity for young players.
Hoops Wire will have much more on this story soon.
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