Wilkens’ household introduced the information however didn’t disclose a reason behind loss of life of the Basketball Corridor of Fame participant and coach.
Revealed On 10 Nov 2025
Lenny Wilkens, a three-time inductee into the Basketball Corridor of Fame who was enshrined as each a participant and a coach, has died, his household stated Sunday. He was 88.
The household stated Wilkens was surrounded by family members when he died and didn’t instantly launch a reason behind loss of life.
Advisable Tales
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Wilkens was one of many most interesting level guards of his period who later introduced his calm and savvy type to the sideline, first as a player-coach after which evolving into one of many recreation’s nice coaches.
He coached 2,487 video games within the NBA, which continues to be a document. He grew to become a Corridor of Famer as a participant, as a coach and once more as a part of the well-known 1992 US Olympic workforce – on which he was an assistant. Wilkens coached the People to gold on the Atlanta Video games as nicely, in 1996.
“Lenny Wilkens represented the easiest of the NBA – as a Corridor of Fame participant, Corridor of Fame coach, and one of many recreation’s most revered ambassadors,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated Sunday. “A lot in order that, 4 years in the past, Lenny acquired the distinctive distinction of being named one of many league’s 75 best gamers and 15 best coaches of all time.”
A memorable profession as participant and coach
Wilkens was a nine-time All-Star as a participant, the primary individual to succeed in 1,000 wins as an NBA coach and the second individual inducted into the Basketball Corridor of Fame as a participant and coach.
He coached the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA title in 1979 and remained iconic in that metropolis for the remainder of his life, usually being thought-about a godfather of types for basketball in Seattle – which misplaced the Sonics to Oklahoma Metropolis in 2008 and has been making an attempt to get a workforce again since.
And he did all of it with grace, one thing he was happy with.
“Leaders don’t yell and scream,” Wilkens informed Seattle’s KOMO Information earlier this 12 months.
Wilkens, the 1994 NBA coach of the 12 months with Atlanta, retired with 1,332 teaching wins – a league document that was later handed by Don Nelson (who retired with 1,335) after which Gregg Popovich (who retired with 1,390).
Wilkens performed 15 seasons with the St Louis Hawks, SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Path Blazers. He was an NBA All-Star 5 occasions with St Louis, thrice in Seattle and as soon as with Cleveland in 1973 at age 35. A statue depicting his time with the SuperSonics was put in exterior Local weather Pledge Enviornment in June.
His resume as a participant would have been sufficient to place Wilkens in consideration for the Corridor of Fame. What he completed as a coach – each by success and longevity – cemented his legacy.
Numerous different honours additionally got here his manner, together with being elected to the FIBA Corridor of Fame, the US Olympic Corridor of Fame, the Faculty Basketball Corridor of Fame, the Windfall Corridor of Fame and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Wall of Honor.
His teaching stops included two stints in Seattle totalling 11 seasons, two seasons in Portland – throughout one in all which he nonetheless performed and averaged 18 minutes per recreation – seven seasons in each Cleveland and Atlanta, three seasons in Toronto and components of two years with the Knicks.
