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Lenny Wilkens facts for kids

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Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens 2013.jpg
Wilkens in 2013
Personal information
Born (1937-10-28)October 28, 1937
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died November 9, 2025(2025-11-09) (aged 88)
Medina, Washington, U.S.
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:
  • 9× NBA All-Star (1963–1965, 1967–1971, 1973)
  • NBA All-Star Game MVP (1971)
  • NBA assists leader (1970)
  • NBA anniversary teams (50th, 75th)
  • No. 19 retired by Seattle SuperSonics
  • Consensus second-team All-American (1960)

As coach:

  • NBA champion (1979)
  • NBA Coach of the Year (1994)
  • 4× NBA All-Star Game head coach (1979, 1980, 1989, 1994)
  • Top 10 Coaches in NBA History
  • Top 15 Coaches in NBA History
  • Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award (2011)
Career statistics
Points 17,772 (16.5 ppg)
Rebounds 5,030 (4.7 rpg)
Assists 7,211 (6.7 apg)
Medals
Head coach for  United States
men's national basketball team
Olympic Games
Gold 1996 Atlanta Team
Assistant coach for  United States
men's national basketball team
Olympic Games
Gold 1992 Barcelona Team

Leonard Randolph Wilkens, born on October 28, 1937, was a famous American basketball player and coach. He played and coached in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He passed away on November 9, 2025.

Lenny Wilkens is so famous that he was honored three times in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. First, for his amazing playing in 1989. Then, for his coaching in 1998. Finally, in 2010, as part of the incredible 1992 Olympic "Dream Team", where he was an assistant coach.

He was also chosen for the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team in 1996. Later, in 2021, he joined the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. In 2022, he was named one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History. Lenny Wilkens is the only person to be on both the 75th-anniversary lists, as a player and a coach! He also joined the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Lenny was an All-Star 13 times. He played in nine games and coached in four. He was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 1994. In 1979, he led the Seattle SuperSonics to an NBA championship as their coach. He also coached the U.S. men's basketball team to an Olympic gold medal in 1996.

During the 1994–95 season, Lenny broke the record for most coaching wins in NBA history. He retired with 1,332 victories. He is now third on that list, behind Don Nelson and Gregg Popovich. Lenny also coached more regular-season games than anyone else in NBA history, with 2,487 games. He received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

Lenny Wilkens' Early Life

Leonard Randolph Wilkens was born on October 28, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood. His family background was a mix of African-American and Irish-American heritage. He grew up following the Catholic faith.

At Boys High School, Lenny played basketball with Tommy Davis, who later became a baseball star. Their coach was Mickey Fisher.

College Basketball Star

Lenny Wilkens was a two-time All-America player in college (1959 and 1960). He played for 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 once the second-highest scorer in Friar history. In 1996, his jersey number 14 was retired by the college. This was a special honor, as he was the first former student to receive it. For his college achievements, Lenny was one of the first people inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Playing in the NBA

Lenny Wilkens 1968
Wilkens with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1968

Starting with the St. Louis Hawks

The St. Louis Hawks chose Lenny sixth overall in the 1960 NBA draft. He started his career with eight seasons playing for the Hawks. In his first year, his team lost the finals to the Boston Celtics.

The Hawks consistently made the playoffs with Lenny. However, they never reached the finals again during his time there. In his last year with the Hawks, he was almost named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He came in second to Wilt Chamberlain.

Leading the Seattle SuperSonics

Lenny was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics and 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 an All-Star in three of his seasons with them.

In his second season, he also became the team's head coach. Even though the SuperSonics didn't make the playoffs while he was both playing and coaching, their team got better each year. They won 47 games in the 1971–72 NBA season. Before the next season, Lenny was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Many fans were unhappy about this trade. Without him, the SuperSonics struggled, winning only 26 games.

Time with the Cleveland Cavaliers

Lenny played two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers

Lenny played one season with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Lenny's Impact as a Player

Lenny scored an amazing 17,772 points in regular season games. He was a nine-time NBA All-Star. He was also named the 1971 NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1971. With Seattle, he led the league in assists in the 1969–70 season. At the time he retired, he was the second-best in assists in NBA history, right after Oscar Robertson. In 2021, for the NBA's 75th Anniversary, he was named the 75th greatest player in NBA history.

Lenny Wilkens: A Legendary Coach

Coaching the Seattle SuperSonics (First Time)

Lenny was a player-coach for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1969 to 1972. This meant he both played and coached the team.

Coaching the Portland Trail Blazers

He was a player-coach for the Portland Trail Blazers for one season. He stopped playing in 1975 but continued coaching the team for another year.

Winning a Championship with Seattle

After taking a year off, he returned to coach the SuperSonics in the 1977–78 season. He took over when the team had a tough start. Under Lenny, the SuperSonics quickly improved. They reached the 1978 NBA Finals but lost to the Washington Bullets. The very next year, in the 1979 NBA Finals, they beat the Washington Bullets! This brought Seattle its only NBA championship.

He coached Seattle for eight seasons, from 1977 to 1985. He led them to their only NBA championship in 1979.

Coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers

Lenny coached the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1986 to 1993. During his time with the Cavaliers, his teams had three seasons with 50 or more wins. They even set a team record with 57 wins in both the 1988–89 and 1991–92 seasons.

In 1992, the Cavaliers reached the Eastern Conference Finals, a big achievement for the team. However, they often faced the strong Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. After losing to the Bulls in 1993, Lenny decided to step down as coach.

Leading the Atlanta Hawks

On June 2, 1993, Lenny became the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. In his first year, the Hawks matched a team record with 57 wins. They were the top team in the Eastern Conference. But after trading their star player Dominique Wilkins, they lost in the second round of the playoffs.

On January 6, 1995, Lenny won his 939th game. This made him the coach with the most wins in NBA history, passing Red Auerbach. He held this record for almost 15 years. Even with many playoff appearances and three 50-win seasons, the Hawks didn't get past the second round. He resigned in April 2000 after a tough season.

Coaching the Toronto Raptors

In June 2000, Lenny signed a contract to coach the Toronto Raptors. He replaced Butch Carter. In his first season, he led the Raptors to their first-ever playoff series win. They beat the New York Knicks. After a difficult season in 2002-03, with many injuries, Lenny and the team decided to go separate ways.

With the New York Knicks

Lenny, already a Hall of Famer, became the head coach of the New York Knicks in January 2004. He took over when the team was struggling. He resigned in January 2005 after another slow start to the season.

Behind the Scenes: Executive Roles

Lenny also worked as the General Manager for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1985 to 1986. In this role, he helped draft Xavier McDaniel, who became an All-Star. He also hired Bernie Bickerstaff as head coach.

Later, he became vice chairman of the SuperSonics' ownership group in 2006. He was then named President of Basketball Operations in 2007. He resigned from the team in July 2007.

A Voice in Basketball: Broadcasting

For a short time, Lenny worked as a college basketball analyst for Northwest FSN Studio. He shared his knowledge of the game.

Lenny's Personal Life

Lenny was married to Marilyn Reed since 1962. They had three children: Leesha, Randy, and Jamee. They also had seven grandchildren.

He started the Lenny Wilkens Foundation for Children. He lived in Medina, Washington, and was a practicing Catholic. Lenny Wilkens passed away on November 9, 2025, at his home.

Awards and Special Honors

NBA

  • 1979 NBA champion (as head coach of Seattle)
  • 13-time NBA All-Star
    • nine times as a player
    • four times as a head coach
  • 1971 NBA All-Star Game MVP
  • 1994 NBA Coach of the Year
  • 2011 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award
  • No. 19 retired by Seattle SuperSonics (carried over to the Oklahoma City Thunder)
  • Top 10 Coaches in NBA History (NBA 50th Anniversary)
  • Top 15 Coaches in NBA History (NBA 75th Anniversary)

USA Basketball

  • Two-time coach of Olympic gold medal winning team:
    • 1992 as an assistant coach with the "Dream Team"
    • 1996 as head coach of the U.S. men's team

Halls of Fame

State/Local

  • City of Seattle renamed Thomas Street to Lenny Wilkens Way.
  • A statue outside Climate Pledge Arena was installed on Lenny Wilkens Way in 2025.

Organizational

  • 1999 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement

Wise Words from Lenny Wilkens

  • "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."

Head coaching record

* Record
Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Seattle 1969–70 82 36 46 .439 5th in Western — — — — Missed playoffs
Seattle 1970–71 82 38 44 .463 4th in Pacific — — — — Missed playoffs
Seattle 1971–72 82 47 35 .573 3rd in Pacific — — — — Missed playoffs
Portland 1974–75 82 38 44 .463 3rd in Pacific — — — — Missed playoffs
Portland 1975–76 82 37 45 .451 5th in Pacific — — — — Missed playoffs
Seattle 1977–78 60 42 18 .700 3rd in Pacific 22 13 9 .591 Lost in NBA Finals
Seattle 1978–79 82 52 30 .634 1st in Pacific 17 12 5 .706 Won NBA Championship
Seattle 1979–80 82 56 26 .683 2nd in Pacific 15 7 8 .467 Lost in Conf. Finals
Seattle 1980–81 82 34 48 .415 6th in Pacific — — — — Missed playoffs
Seattle 1981–82 82 52 30 .634 2nd in Pacific 8 3 5 .375 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Seattle 1982–83 82 48 34 .585 3rd in Pacific 2 0 2 .000 Lost in First Round
Seattle 1983–84 82 42 40 .512 3rd in Pacific 5 2 3 .400 Lost in First Round
Seattle 1984–85 82 31 51 .378 5th in Pacific — — — — Missed playoffs
Cleveland 1986–87 82 31 51 .378 4th in Central — — — — Missed playoffs
Cleveland 1987–88 82 42 40 .512 4th in Central 5 2 3 .400 Lost in First Round
Cleveland 1988–89 82 57 25 .695 2nd in Central 5 2 3 .400 Lost in First Round
Cleveland 1989–90 82 42 40 .512 4th in Central 5 2 3 .400 Lost in First Round
Cleveland 1990–91 82 33 49 .402 6th in Central — — — — Missed playoffs
Cleveland 1991–92 82 57 25 .695 2nd in Central 17 9 8 .529 Lost in Conf. Finals
Cleveland 1992–93 82 54 28 .659 2nd in Central 9 3 6 .333 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Atlanta 1993–94 82 57 25 .695 1st in Central 11 5 6 .455 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Atlanta 1994–95 82 42 40 .512 5th in Central 3 0 3 .000 Lost in First Round
Atlanta 1995–96 82 46 36 .561 4th in Central 10 4 6 .400 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Atlanta 1996–97 82 56 26 .683 2nd in Central 10 4 6 .400 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Atlanta 1997–98 82 50 32 .610 4th in Central 4 1 3 .250 Lost in First Round
Atlanta 1998–99 50 31 19 .620 2nd in Central 9 3 6 .333 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Atlanta 1999–2000 82 28 54 .341 7th in Central — — — — Missed playoffs
Toronto 2000–01 82 47 35 .573 2nd in Central 12 6 6 .500 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
Toronto 2001–02 82 42 40 .512 3rd in Central 5 2 3 .400 Lost in First Round
Toronto 2002–03 82 24 58 .293 7th in Central — — — — Missed playoffs
New York 2003–04 42 23 19 .548 3rd in Atlantic 4 0 4 .000 Lost in First Round
New York 2004–05 39 17 22 .436 (resigned) — — — — —
Career 2,487* 1,332 1,155 .536 178 80 98 .449

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1960–61 St. Louis 74 — 25.3 .425 — .713 4.5 2.8 — — 11.7
1961–62 St. Louis 20 — 43.5 .385 — .764 6.6 5.8 — — 18.2
1962–63 St. Louis 75 — 34.3 .399 — .696 5.4 5.1 — — 11.8
1963–64 St. Louis 78 — 32.4 .413 — .740 4.3 4.6 — — 12.0
1964–65 St. Louis 78 — 36.6 .414 — .746 4.7 5.5 — — 16.5
1965–66 St. Louis 69 — 39.0 .431 — .793 4.7 6.2 — — 18.0
1966–67 St. Louis 78 — 38.1 .432 — .787 5.3 5.7 — — 17.4
1967–68 St. Louis 82 — 38.6 .438 — .768 5.3 8.3 — — 20.0
1968–69 Seattle 82 — 42.2 .440 — .770 6.2 8.2 — — 22.4
1969–70 Seattle 75 — 37.4 .420 — .788 5.0 9.1* — — 17.8
1970–71 Seattle 71 — 37.2 .419 — .803 4.5 9.2 — — 19.8
1971–72 Seattle 80 — 37.4 .466 — .774 4.2 9.6 — — 18.0
1972–73 Cleveland 75 — 39.6 .449 — .828 4.6 8.4 — — 20.5
1973–74 Cleveland 74 — 33.6 .465 — .801 3.7 7.1 1.3 0.2 16.4
1974–75 Portland 65 — 17.9 .439 — .768 1.8 3.6 1.2 0.1 6.5
Career 1,077 — 35.3 .432 — .774 4.7 6.7 1.3 0.2 16.5
All-Star 9 3 20.2 .400 — .781 2.4 2.9 — — 9.4

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1961 St. Louis 12 — 36.4 .380 — .759 6.0 3.5 — — 14.2
1963 St. Louis 11 — 36.4 .370 — .755 6.3 6.3 — — 13.7
1964 St. Louis 12 — 34.4 .448 — .759 5.0 5.3 — — 14.3
1965 St. Louis 4 — 36.8 .351 — .828 3.0 3.8 — — 16.0
1966 St. Louis 10 — 39.1 .399 — .687 5.4 7.0 — — 17.1
1967 St. Louis 9 — 42.0 .400 — .856 7.6 7.2 — — 21.4
1968 St. Louis 6 — 39.5 .440 — .750 6.3 7.8 — — 16.1
Career 64 — 37.5 .399 — .769 5.8 5.8 — — 16.1

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lenny Wilkens para niños

  • 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
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