.jpeg) Wilkens with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1937-10-28)October 28, 1937 New York City, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | November 9, 2025(2025-11-09) (aged 88) Medina, Washington, 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | St. Louis Hawks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1960–1975 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 32, 15, 14, 19, 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1969–2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1968 | St. Louis Hawks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1972 | Seattle SuperSonics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1974 | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1975 | Portland Trail Blazers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leonard Randolph Wilkens (October 28, 1937 – November 9, 2025) was an American professionalbasketball 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 anniversary lists as a player and as a coach.[3] He is also a 2006 inductee into theCollege Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wilkens made a combined 13NBA All-Star Game appearances as a player (nine times) and as a head coach (four times), was the 1994NBA Coach of the Year, won the1979 NBA championship as the head coach of theSeattle SuperSonics, and was the head coach of theOlympic gold medal–winning1996 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.[4] As of February 2022[update], he is in third place on thelist, behindDon Nelson andGregg Popovich.[5] Wilkens won theChuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the2010–11 NBA season.[6] 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.[4]
Leonard Randolph Wilkens was born on October 28, 1937, inBrooklyn, New York.[7] Wilkens grew up in theBedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.[8] His father was African-American and his mother was Irish American.[9] Wilkens was raised in theCatholic faith.[9]
AtBoys High School, Wilkens was a basketball teammate of longtimeMajor League Baseball starTommy Davis,[10] and played for coachMickey Fisher.[11]
Wilkens was a two-time All-America (1959 and 1960) atProvidence College.[12] 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 26th as of 2011).[13] In 1996, Wilkens's No. 14 jersey was retired by the college, the first alumnus to receive such an honor.[14] In honor of his collegiate accomplishments, Wilkens was one of the inaugural inductees into theCollege Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.[15]
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.[16] 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.[17]
Wilkens was traded to theSeattle SuperSonics forWalt Hazzard and spent four seasons there. He averaged 22.4 points, 6.2rebounds, and 8.2assists 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.[18]
Wilkens played two seasons with theCleveland Cavaliers from 1972 to 1974 and was named an All-Star in 1973, the final selection of his playing career.[4][19] He averaged 20.5 point per gamethat season, the last of three seasons in which he averaged over 20+ points per game.[4]
Wilkens played one season with thePortland Trail Blazers, his final season playing, when he averaged career lows in points (6.5), rebounds (1.8), shots (4.7) and minutes per game (17.9).[19][20]
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.[20]
Wilkens became aplayer-coach in the closing stages of his playing career,[21] serving both roles for theSeattle SuperSonics from1969 to1972.[16]Al Bianchi had resigned as their head coach in the middle of the 1969 offseason when general managerDick Vertlieb presented the idea to Wilkens. "I told him he was crazy", said Wilkens. “And he said 'Well, you run the show anyway'.[16] He became the second Black coach in NBA history, joiningBill Russell, who had also been a player-coach.[16]
In his one season as a player with thePortland Trail Blazers, Wilkens was aplayer-coach. He had been considering retiring from playing when Trail Blazers ownerHerman Sarkowsky convinced him to coach the team. To Wilkens's surprise, Portland also acquried his playing rights from Cleveland. He retired from playing in1975 and was the full-time coach of the Trail Blazers for one more season.[16]
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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.[22] 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.[23]
He coached in Seattle for eight seasons (1977–1985), winning his (and Seattle's) only NBA championship in1979.[21]
Wilkens coached theCleveland Cavaliers from1986 to1993. His tenure with Cleveland was highlighted by three 50-win seasons, including a then-franchise record 57 victories in both the1988–89 and1991–92 seasons. In the second of those seasons, the Cavaliers reached theEastern Conference Finals for only the second time in franchise history. Cleveland qualified for the playoffs in five of Wilkens's seven seasons.[4] Despite those successes, the Cavaliers failed to make deeper playoff runs under Wilkens, with four of their playoff defeats coming against theMichael Jordan–ledChicago Bulls.[4] In 1993, following their defeat to the Bulls in thesecond round of the playoffs, Wilkens resigned as coach.[24] His 316 career wins with the Cavaliers are a franchise record.[4]
On June 2, 1993, Wilkens was hired as the head coach of theAtlanta Hawks.[25] In Wilkens's first season, the Hawks tied a then-franchise record with 57 wins, earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Hawks traded their superstarDominique Wilkins midway through the season forDanny Manning, leading to a second-round defeat to theIndiana Pacers. On January 6, 1995, Wilkens won his 939th career regular season game to surpassRed Auerbach as the all-time winningest coach in NBA history, a record he would hold for nearly 15 seasons.[26] In 1997, his contract was extended to two years and $10.4 million dollars. The Hawks never advanced past the second round during the Wilkens era despite six consecutive playoff berths and three 50-win seasons. On April 24, 2000, he resigned as head coach following a 28–54 record.[27]
In June 2000, Wilkens signed a four-year, $20 million dollar contract to become head coach of theToronto Raptors, replacingButch Carter.[28] 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.[29]
TheHall of Famer was named head coach of the New York Knicks on January 15, 2004, after the team started 15–24 underDon Chaney.[30] After the Knicks' slow start to the2004–05 season, Wilkens resigned from the team on January 22, 2005.[31]
After Seattle finished 31–51 in1984–85, team ownerBarry Ackerley fired Wilkens as coach and moved him to general manager.[32] During his stint as GM, he drafted future All-StarXavier McDaniel,[33] and hired head coachBernie Bickerstaff.[32][34] Wilkens left Seattle in 1986 to become Cleveland's head coach.[35]
On November 29, 2006, Wilkens was hired as vice chairman of the SuperSonics' ownership group,[36] and was later named the Sonics' President of Basketball Operations on April 27, 2007.[37] On July 6, 2007, Wilkens resigned from the Sonics organization. "I feel that my position within the organization did not develop the way that I thought it would", he said.[38]
Wilkens briefly worked atFox Sports Northwest's studio as a college basketball analyst.[39]
Wilkens was married to Marilyn Reed from 1962 until his death in 2025; they had three children, Leesha, Randy and Jamee.[7] The Wilkens had seven grandchildren,[21] six girls and one boy.
Wilkens was the founder of the Lenny Wilkens Foundation for Children[40] and lived inMedina, Washington.[41] He was a practicingCatholic.[42] Wilkens died at his home on November 9, 2025, at the age of 88.[7][21]
NBA
USA Basketball
Halls of Fame
State/Local
Organizational
| 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 |
Source:[19]
| 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 | |
| * | Record |
| 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 | |||
| Source:[53] | |||||||||||
Selected to Providence College Hall of Fame (1972)
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