Lenny Wilkens facts for kids
Wilkens in 2013
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | October 28, 1937 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| High school | Boys (Brooklyn, New York) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Providence (1957–1960) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1960 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the St. Louis Hawks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1960–1975 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1969–2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1968 | St. Louis Hawks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1972 | Seattle SuperSonics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1974 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1975 | Portland Trail Blazers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1969–1972 | Seattle SuperSonics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1976 | Portland Trail Blazers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1985 | Seattle SuperSonics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1993 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–2000 | Atlanta Hawks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | New York Knicks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As player:
As coach:
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| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 17,772 (16.5 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 5,030 (4.7 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 7,211 (6.7 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is a famous American basketball player and coach. He played and coached in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Lenny Wilkens is special because he has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame three times! First, as a player in 1989. Then, as a coach in 1998. Finally, in 2010, he was honored as part of the amazing 1992 United States Olympic "Dream Team", where he was an assistant coach.
He was also named one of the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team in 1996. In 2021, he made the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. What's even cooler is that in 2022, he was named one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History. This makes him the only person to be on both the NBA's 75th-anniversary lists as a player and a coach! He's also in the College Basketball Hall of Fame since 2006.
Wilkens was an NBA All-Star Game player nine times and a head coach four times. He won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 1993. As a coach, he led the Seattle SuperSonics to an NBA championship in 1979. He also won an Olympic gold medal as the head coach of the 1996 U.S. men's basketball team.
Lenny Wilkens holds the record for the most regular season coaching wins in NBA history for a long time. He retired with 1,332 victories. He is currently third on the all-time list of coaching wins. He has coached more regular-season games than anyone else in NBA history, with 2,487 games.
Contents
Early Life and College
Growing Up in Brooklyn
Leonard Randolph Wilkens was born on October 28, 1937. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His father was African American and his mother was Irish American. Lenny was raised in the Catholic faith.
He went to Boys High School in Brooklyn. There, he played basketball with Major League Baseball star Tommy Davis.
College Basketball Star
Wilkens became a two-time All-America player at Providence College. He led his team to their first NIT appearance in 1959. They even reached the NIT finals in 1960.
When he graduated, he was the second-highest scorer in his college's history. In 1996, Providence College retired his No. 14 jersey. This was a special honor, as he was the first former student to receive it. In 2006, he was one of the first people inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Professional Playing Career
Starting with the St. Louis Hawks
In the 1960 NBA draft, the St. Louis Hawks picked Wilkens sixth overall. He played for the Hawks for eight seasons. In his first year, the Hawks made it to the finals but lost to the Boston Celtics. The team often made the playoffs with Wilkens. However, they never reached the finals again during his time there. In his last season with the Hawks, he was second in the MVP voting.
Becoming a Player-Coach in Seattle
Wilkens was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in 1968. He played there for four seasons. In his first season with the SuperSonics, he averaged 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. He was also an All-Star three times while playing for Seattle.
In his second season with the team, he became a player-coach. This meant he played on the team and coached it at the same time. Even though the SuperSonics didn't make the playoffs, their record got better each year. They won 47 games in the 1971–72 NBA season.
Before the next season, Wilkens was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Many fans were upset about this trade. Without him, the SuperSonics' record dropped significantly.
Final Playing Years
After Seattle, Wilkens played two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then played one final season with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974–1975.
Player Achievements
Lenny Wilkens scored 17,772 points in his career. He was an NBA All-Star nine times. In 1971, he was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP. He also led the league in assists in the 1969–70 season. When he retired, he was the second all-time leader in assists.
In 2021, he was named the 75th greatest player in NBA history. This was part of the NBA's 75th Anniversary celebration.
Coaching Career
Early Coaching: Player-Coach Roles
Lenny Wilkens started his coaching career as a player-coach. He coached the Seattle SuperSonics from 1969 to 1972. He also served as a player-coach for the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974–1975. After that, he retired from playing and coached the Trail Blazers for one more season.
Leading the Seattle SuperSonics to a Championship
After taking a year off, Wilkens returned to coach the SuperSonics in 1977. He took over when the team had a bad start to the season. Under his leadership, the SuperSonics quickly improved. They won 11 of their first 12 games with him as coach.
The SuperSonics made it to the playoffs in 1978 and 1979. In the 1978 NBA Finals, they lost in seven games. But in the 1979 NBA Finals, they won the championship! This was the only NBA title for both Wilkens and the SuperSonics. He coached in Seattle for eight seasons until 1985.
Coaching Other Teams
Wilkens went on to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1986 to 1993. He resigned after the Cavaliers were swept in the playoffs by the Chicago Bulls.
In 1993, he became the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks made the playoffs in his first six seasons. He resigned in 2000 after a tough season.
In June 2000, Wilkens signed with the Toronto Raptors. In his first season, he led the Raptors to their first-ever playoff series win. They beat the New York Knicks in the first round. He left the Raptors after the 2002-03 season.
His last coaching job was with the New York Knicks. He became their head coach in January 2004. He resigned from the team in January 2005.
Beyond the Court
Executive Roles
Lenny Wilkens also worked as a General Manager for the Seattle SuperSonics. He held this role from 1985 to 1986. During this time, he helped draft future All-Star Xavier McDaniel.
Later, in 2006, he became the vice chairman of the SuperSonics' ownership group. He was then named the team's President of Basketball Operations in 2007. He resigned from the SuperSonics organization in July 2007.
Broadcasting
After his coaching career, Wilkens worked as a college basketball analyst. He appeared on TV shows like College Hoops Northwest.
Personal Life
Lenny Wilkens married Marilyn Reed in 1962. They have three children: Leesha, Randy, and Jamee. They also have seven grandchildren.
Wilkens started the Lenny Wilkens Foundation for Children. He lives in Medina, Washington. He is a practicing Catholic.
Awards and Honors
NBA Achievements
- 1979 NBA champion (as head coach of Seattle)
- 13-time NBA All-Star (9 times as a player, 4 times as a coach)
- 1971 NBA All-Star Game MVP
- 1994 NBA Coach of the Year
- 2011 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award
- No. 19 jersey retired by the Seattle SuperSonics
- Named one of the Top 10 Coaches in NBA History (NBA 50th Anniversary)
- Named one of the Top 15 Coaches in NBA History (NBA 75th Anniversary)
USA Basketball
- Two-time Olympic gold medal winner:
- 1992 as an assistant coach with the "Dream Team"
- 1996 as head coach of the U.S. men's team
Halls of Fame
- Three-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee:
- 1989 as a player
- 1998 as a coach
- 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team"
- Cleveland Cavaliers Wall of Honor (2022)
- U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (2009 – as a member of the "Dream Team")
- FIBA Hall of Fame (2017 – as a member of the "Dream Team")
- College Basketball Hall of Fame (2006)
- Providence College Hall of Fame
Other Honors
- The City of Seattle renamed Thomas Street to Lenny Wilkens Way.
- 1999 Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
Quotes
- "I learned my basketball on the playgrounds of Brooklyn. Today, being a playground player is an insult. It means all you want to do is go one-on-one, it means your fundamentals stink and you don't understand the game. But the playgrounds I knew were tremendous training grounds."
- "Show people how to have success and then you can push their expectations up."
Images for kids
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Wilkens in 2013
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Wilkens playing for the Seattle SuperSonics in 1968
See also
- List of NBA career assists leaders
- List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
- List of NBA career free throw scoring leaders
- List of NBA career playoff triple-double leaders
- List of NBA single-game assists leaders
