Lenny Wilkens, a legend of the National Basketball Association (NBA), passed away in February. His monumental legacy includes his remarkable playing and coaching careers. Wilkens was regarded as one of the finest, if not the finest, guards in the game as a player. He used innovative strategies as a coach to earn his iconic legacy in the NBA community. He played professionally until he was 37 years old and then entered coaching, where he broke down barriers with historic achievements.
During his long Hall of Fame career, Wilkens became player-coach for the Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers. This was both thrilling and auspicious beginning of his remarkable coaching career. Along the way, he became the NBA’s career leader in coaching wins, amassing an astounding 1332 victories. Wilkens also became the first coach in league history to reach 1,000 wins. This accomplishment firmly established him among the most historic icons the game of basketball has ever seen. His coaching tenure included stints with several teams: Seattle, Portland, Cleveland, Atlanta, Toronto, and New York.
Besides his proven coaching acumen, Wilkens was a player who led the Seattle SuperSonics to the 1979 NBA Championship. He made his mark on the international stage as the head coach of the USA Basketball team during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he guided the team to a gold medal.
Wilkens first came to prominence as an exceptional player at Providence College, where he was a two-time All-American. During 1969, he led Providence to the NIT Finals. From there, he went on to the NBA, where he played for the St. Louis Hawks, Sonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Trail Blazers. Over 1,077 NBA games as a player, he averaged 16.5 points, 6.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds.
In addition to his athletic achievements, Wilkens social causes — especially growing up with racism and discrimination on the field and court. In his 2001 autobiography, “Unguarded: My Forty Years Surviving in the NBA,” he reflected on personal experiences with racism, including seeing “colored” signs on bathroom doors in Virginia and being served food only after he was able to pass as white. His relentless advocacy against the racism he faced, and on behalf of Black coaches, created opportunities for generations to come.
Wilkens’ influence reached far beyond the basketball court. He was instrumental in fighting for improved contracts and life insurance for college coaches. His tenure and legislative advocacy opened doors to a much better climate for people in coaching positions.
“He did a lot of things to further the profession; the pension, benefits, coaching salaries rose significantly during his time,” – Rick Carlisle
Carlisle called Wilkens a “groundbreaking” figure who transformed the coaching profession. He recognized Wilkens for her unstinting commitment to standing up for the underserved, unheard, and overlooked.
“He was a great representative to the league office, advocating for coaches and the things that coaches experience that a lot of people didn’t know about. Lenny was a great communicator with things like that.” – Rick Carlisle
The high regard for Wilkens as both a friend and mentor from his former students is palpable in these remembrances. Wilkens’ importance for Black coaches in the league was acknowledged by Doc Rivers.
“Lenny was a pioneer for all of us, especially the Black coaches,” – Doc Rivers
Rivers discussed the impact Wilkens had on his own development in becoming a basketball coach.
“He broke barriers on a personal level. He was a mentor for me, always there for me and other coaches. We lost a giant today. … It meant the world to me growing up and seeing Bill Russell and Lenny do their thing as coaches. It made it normal for me. It never crossed my mind that I could not do it.” – Doc Rivers
Wilkens’ impact reached through multiple generations of players and coaches. His ability to connect with individuals is remembered fondly by many.
“The thing that I’ll always remember, he was such a great gentleman, and such an eloquent human being, along with being a super competitive coach. He is still way up there in all-time victories. Very, very special man. He’ll be missed, but he’ll be remembered.” – Rick Carlisle
Steve Kerr said one of his fondest memories of Wilkens was when he entered a scrimmage years later and showed he still had it.
“One (memory) flashed in my head when he joined our scrimmage. This would have been around 1990 or ’91. And he jumped into the scrimmage and he could still play. He was the only player I know of who was a Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame coach.” – Steve Kerr
Lloyd Pierce told the story of how he fell in admiration with Wilkens after a random run-in that showed Wilkens’ graciousness and leadership nature.
“But it was the opposite. Everything I thought about him in terms of respect, graciousness, leadership qualities, he presented in our 15-minute conversation.” – Lloyd Pierce
As first reported by ESPN, Jamal Crawford took to Social Media to decorate his profound sadness over losing not only an awesome athlete, but an awesome human being.
“We not only lost a Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame coach, but a one-of-a-kind person.” – Jamal Crawford
No matter how long the fabric stretches, Lenny Wilkens’ legacy will always be sewn into its textured golden history. His contributions as both a player and coach inspired countless individuals while breaking barriers that shaped the NBA into what it is today.
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