SEATTLE — 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 mentioned Sunday. He was 88.
The household mentioned Wilkens was surrounded by family members when he died and didn’t instantly launch a reason behind dying.
Wilkens was one of many best level guards of his period who later introduced his calm and savvy model to the sideline, first as a player-coach after which evolving into one of many sport’s nice coaches.
He coached 2,487 video games within the NBA, which continues to be a file. He grew to become a Corridor of Famer as a participant, as a coach and once more as a part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic workforce — on which he was an assistant. Wilkens coached the People to gold on the Atlanta Video games as effectively in 1996.
“Lenny Wilkens represented the perfect of the NBA — as a Corridor of Fame participant, Corridor of Fame coach, and one of many sport’s most revered ambassadors,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned Sunday. “A lot in order that, 4 years in the past, Lenny obtained the distinctive distinction of being named one of many league’s 75 best gamers and 15 best coaches of all time.”
Wilkens was a nine-time All-Star as a participant, was the primary particular person to achieve 1,000 wins as an NBA coach and was the second particular person 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 of a godfather of types for basketball in Seattle — which misplaced the Sonics to Oklahoma Metropolis in 2008 and has been attempting to get a workforce again since.
And he did all of it with grace, one thing he was pleased 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 file 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 All-Star 5 instances with St. Louis, 3 times 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 Area in June.
“Much more spectacular than Lenny’s basketball accomplishments, which included two Olympic gold medals and an NBA championship, was his dedication to service — particularly in his beloved group of Seattle the place a statue stands in his honor,” Silver mentioned. “He influenced the lives of numerous younger individuals in addition to generations of gamers and coaches who thought of Lenny not solely an important teammate or coach but additionally a rare mentor who led with integrity and true class.”
Wilkens twice led the league in assists however was additionally a outstanding scorer. He averaged in double figures scoring in each season of his profession, besides his ultimate one in 1974-75 with the Path Blazers. His finest season as a scorer got here in his first season with the SuperSonics in 1968-69 when he averaged 22.4 factors, 8.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds.
Leonard Wilkens was born on Oct. 28, 1937, in New York. His basketball education got here on Brooklyn’s playgrounds and at a metropolis powerhouse, then Boys Excessive Faculty, the place one in all his teammates was main league baseball star Tommy Davis. He would go on to star at Windfall and was drafted by the Hawks because the sixth total choose in 1960.
___
Tim Sales space, a former Related Press sports activities author, was the principal author of this obituary.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
