 Wilkens in 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1937-10-28)October 28, 1937 (age 87) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Boys (Brooklyn, New York) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Providence (1957–1960) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1960: 1st round, 6th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by theSt. Louis Hawks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1960–1975 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 32, 15, 14, 19, 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career playing statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 17,772 (16.5 ppg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 5,030 (4.7 rpg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 7,211 (6.7 apg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career coaching record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA | 1332–1155 (.536) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Record atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basketball Hall of Fame (playing) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basketball Hall of Fame (coaching) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is an American formerbasketball player and coach in theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as a player, as a coach in 1998, and in 2010 as part of the1992 United States Olympic "Dream Team" for which he was an assistant coach. In 1996, Wilkens was named to theNBA 50th Anniversary Team, and in 2021 he was named to theNBA 75th Anniversary Team.[1][2] In addition, in 2022 he was also named to the list of the15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History, being the only person to be in both NBA 75th season celebration list as player and coach.[3] He is also a 2006 inductee into theCollege Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wilkens made a combined 13-timeNBA All-Star Game appearances as a player (nine times) and as a head coach (four times), was the 1993NBA Coach of the Year, won the1979 NBA championship as the head coach of theSeattle SuperSonics, and anOlympic gold medal as the head coach of the 1996 U.S. men's basketball team.
During the 1994–95 season, Wilkens set the record for most regular season coaching wins in NBA history, a record he held when he retired with 1,332 victories. As of February 2022[update], he is in third place on thelist, behindDon Nelson andGregg Popovich.[4] Wilkens won theChuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the2010–11 NBA season.[5] Wilkens is also the most prolific coach in NBA history, at 2,487 regular-season games, 89 more games than Nelson, and over 400 more than any other coach, and has more losses than any other coach in NBA history, at 1,155.
Leonard Randolph Wilkens was born on October 28, 1937, inBrooklyn, New York. Wilkens grew up in theBedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.[6] His father was African American and his mother wasIrish American.[7] Wilkens was raised in theCatholic faith.[7]
AtBoys High School, Wilkens was a basketball teammate of longtimeMajor League Baseball starTommy Davis, and played for coachMickey Fisher.
Wilkens was a two-time All-America (1959 and 1960) atProvidence College. He led the team to their firstNIT appearance in1959, and to the NIT finals in1960. When he graduated, Wilkens was, with 1,193 points, the second-ranked scorer in Friar history (he has since dropped to 20th as of 2005). In 1996, Wilkens' No. 14 jersey was retired by the college, the first alumnus to receive such an honor. In honor of his collegiate accomplishments, Wilkens was one of the inaugural inductees into theCollege Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Wilkens was drafted sixth overall by theSt. Louis Hawks in the1960 NBA draft. He began his career with eight seasons with the St. Louis Hawks, who lost the finals to theBoston Celtics in his rookie season. The Hawks made the playoffs consistently with Wilkens but never again reached the finals. Wilkens placed second toWilt Chamberlain in the1967–1968 MVP balloting, his last with the Hawks.
Wilkens was traded to theSeattle SuperSonics forWalt Hazzard and spent four seasons there. He averaged 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game in his first season for the SuperSonics, and was an All-Star in three of his seasons for them. He was named head coach in his second season with the team. Although the SuperSonics did not reach the playoffs while Wilkens simultaneously coached and started at point guard, their record improved each season and they won 47 games during the1971–72 NBA season. Wilkens was dealt to theCleveland Cavaliers before the start of the next season in a highly unpopular trade, and the SuperSonics fell to 26–56 without his leadership on the court.[8]
Wilkens played two seasons with theCleveland Cavaliers.
Wilkens played one season with thePortland Trail Blazers.
Wilkens scored 17,772 points during the regular season, was a nine-time NBA All-Star, and was named the1971 NBA All-Star Game MVP in1971. With Seattle, he led the league in assists in the1969–70 season, and at the time of his retirement was the NBA's second all-time leader in that category, behind onlyOscar Robertson. In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th AnniversaryThe Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Wilkens as the 75th greatest player in NBA history.[9]
Wilkens was aplayer-coach for theSeattle SuperSonics from1969 to1972.
In his one season as a player with thePortland Trail Blazers, he was aplayer-coach. He retired from playing in1975 and was the full-time coach of the Trail Blazers for one more season.
After a season off from coaching, he again became coach of the SuperSonics when he replacedBob Hopkins who was fired 22 games into the1977–78 season after a dismal 5–17 start.[10] The SuperSonics won 11 of their first 12 games under Wilkens. They made the playoffs in back-to-back years, losing in seven games to the Washington Bullets in the1978 NBA Finals before returning to the 1979 NBA Finals and defeating the Washington Bullets in five games for their only NBA title.[11]
He coached in Seattle for eight seasons (1977–1985), winning his (and Seattle's) only NBA championship in1979.
Wilkens would go on to coach theCleveland Cavaliers from1986 to1993. He resigned as coach following the 1992–93 season, after the Cavs were swept by theChicago Bulls in the second round of the playoffs.[12]
On June 2, 1993, Wilkens was hired as the head coach of theAtlanta Hawks.[13] In 1997, his contract was extended to two years and $10.4 million dollars. The team made the playoffs in Wilkens' first six seasons. However, on 24 April 2000, he resigned as head coach following a 28-54 record.[14]
In June 2000, Wilkens signed a four-year, $20 million dollar contract to become head coach of theToronto Raptors, replacingButch Carter.[15] In hisfirst season at the helm, he led the Raptors franchise to their first playoff series win, defeating theNew York Knicks in the first round. Wilkens and the team parted ways after a disappointing and injury riddled2002-03 season where they finished with a 24-58 record.[16]
TheHall of Famer was named head coach of the New York Knicks on January 15, 2004 after the team started 15-24 underDon Chaney.[17] After the Knicks' slow start to the2004–05 season, Wilkens resigned from the team on January 22, 2005.[18]
Wilkens was the General Manager of theSeattle SuperSonics from April 24, 1985 until May 27, 1986. During his stint as GM, he drafted future All-StarXavier McDaniel and hired Head CoachBernie Bickerstaff.
On November 29, 2006, Wilkens was hired as vice chairman of the SuperSonics' ownership group,[19] and was later named the Sonics' President of Basketball Operations on April 27, 2007.[20] On July 6, 2007, Wilkens resigned from the Sonics organization.
Wilkens later worked at Northwest FSN Studio as a college basketball analyst and occasionally appears on College Hoops Northwest at game nights.
Since 1962, Wilkens has been married to Marilyn Reed; they have three children, Leesha, Randy and Jamee. The Wilkens have seven grandchildren, six girls and one boy.
Wilkens is the founder of the Lenny Wilkens Foundation for Children[21] and lives inMedina, Washington.[22] He is a practicingCatholic.
NBA
USA Basketball
Halls of Fame
State/Local
Organizational
| 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 inNBA Finals |
| Seattle | 1978–79 | 82 | 52 | 30 | .634 | 1st in Pacific | 17 | 12 | 5 | .706 | WonNBA Championship |
| Seattle | 1979–80 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 2nd in Pacific | 15 | 7 | 8 | .467 | Lost inConf. 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 inConf. Semifinals |
| Seattle | 1982–83 | 82 | 48 | 34 | .585 | 3rd in Pacific | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost inFirst Round |
| Seattle | 1983–84 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 3rd in Pacific | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost inFirst 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 inFirst Round |
| Cleveland | 1988–89 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 2nd in Central | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost inFirst Round |
| Cleveland | 1989–90 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 4th in Central | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost inFirst 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 inConf. Finals |
| Cleveland | 1992–93 | 82 | 54 | 28 | .659 | 2nd in Central | 9 | 3 | 6 | .333 | Lost inConf. Semifinals |
| Atlanta | 1993–94 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Central | 11 | 5 | 6 | .455 | Lost inConf. Semifinals |
| Atlanta | 1994–95 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 5th in Central | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost inFirst Round |
| Atlanta | 1995–96 | 82 | 46 | 36 | .561 | 4th in Central | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | Lost inConf. Semifinals |
| Atlanta | 1996–97 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 2nd in Central | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | Lost inConf. Semifinals |
| Atlanta | 1997–98 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 | 4th in Central | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | Lost inFirst Round |
| Atlanta | 1998–99 | 50 | 31 | 19 | .620 | 2nd in Central | 9 | 3 | 6 | .333 | Lost inConf. 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 inConf. Semifinals |
| Toronto | 2001–02 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 3rd in Central | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost inFirst 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 inFirst Round |
| New York | 2004–05 | 39 | 17 | 22 | .436 | (resigned) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 2,487 | 1,332 | 1,155 | .536 | 178 | 80 | 98 | .449 |
| 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 |
| * | Led the league |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
Links to related articles | |
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